DEALING WITH FAILURE

(Acts 1: 12-26)

The Bible is a very wise and pastoral book. Here, in the second message in his series on the book of Acts, Rob Yule shows how the early Christians first dealt with areas of hurt, trauma and incompleteness in their lives, before they could become the joyous and effective advocates of Christianity they ultimately became. Rob shared this message at Greyfriars Presbyterian Church, Mt. Eden, Auckland on 16 March 2003.

A lot going for them ...

The apostles and early Christians had a number of things going for them:

1. The resurrection of Jesus

Following the heartbreak of Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, they knew the great joy of meeting Jesus risen from the dead. For forty days they had experienced 'many convincing proofs that he was alive' (Acts 1: 3). This privileged period included a graduate course of teaching on the theme of the kingdom of God, taught personally by Jesus himself.

2. The promise of the Holy Spirit

The risen Jesus had promised them, 'In a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit' (Acts 1: 4-5). He promised that they would be empowered for their mission (Acts 1: 8). Jesus had never let them down. This promise meant they could live not just on past experience but on expectancy of the future, not just on fading memory but in confident hope.

3. Unity in prayer

The early Christians 'all joined together constantly in prayer.' (Acts 1: 14). One of the most exciting experiences you can ever have is praying in genuine heart-unity with other Christians. I remember doing this for several days in Christchurch, with a small group of other pastors, humbling ourselves and deferring to one another in what we called a Ministers' 'Deference' rather than a Ministers' Conference. There is nothing quite so stirring as the excitement of constant, fervent, united prayer, like what the apostles and the women with them experienced in the upper room before Pentecost. Unity is not a thing to be taken for granted in a church - including this precious gift of unity and respect between men and women, a relationship so often marred by competition, suspicion, seduction, or abuse.

... but one area of failure

But with all these things going for the early Christians, one key area still remained to be dealt with: the profound shock caused by the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, and his subsequent suicide. We can identify three aspects of this:

1. The hurt of betrayal

Disloyalty and breach of faith hurts people deeply. This is increasingly common today with the epidemic of broken relationships. A marriage split isn't a simple convenience. It's a tearing of a very deep bond, which the Bible calls 'one flesh'. New Zealand opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa has suffered the heartbreak of a marriage break-up. In a memorable image she compared it tearing Velcro apart.

The apostles' pain at the treachery of Judas is clear in their words: 'he was one of our number and shared in this ministry' (Acts 1: 17, NIV). It was almost inconceivable that someone who had lived, eaten, drunk, laughed, walked, fished, and ministered together with them for three years, could have betrayed Jesus as he had. Betrayal hurts.

2. The trauma of suicide

Suicide is very traumatic for the friends or family of a person who takes their own life. Often the intention of the person committing suicide is to move the blame and make others feel guilty or responsible for their unhappiness with life.

In Judas's case perhaps his suicide was aggravated by the indifference of others to his plight. Rubens has a famous painting of Judas returning the thirty pieces of silver, the blood money he received for betraying Jesus. It's a painting full of pathos. Judas spills the money over the floor in anguish and remorse. But the religious authorities aren't interested in his personal predicament. The high priest is looking the other way - and the temple treasurer is counting the money. The pastoral authorities, to whom he's come to put things right, are completely indifferent to his personal anguish and guilt.

It was recently announced that 96 New Zealand young people between the ages of 15 and 24 took their own lives in 2000. According to a just-published Canterbury Suicide Project study, 90 % of these had one or more psychiatric disorders at the time: depression, substance disorders, drug or alcohol abuse, or significant behavioural problems. The common factor behind all of this was increasing human disconnectedness: the disintegration of the family, lack of parental affection, and especially the lack of support from fathers.

The Bible suggests that Judas's suicide was particularly gruesome. 'His body burst open and all his intestines spilled out' (Acts 1: 18, NIV) perhaps suggests self-mutilation. Whatever happened, whether it was self-mutilation or a hanging that went wrong, it was Satan's toll for his opening of himself to this dastardly deed of betrayal.

I would caution anyone against any occult or Satanist involvement. A minister colleague of mine took the funeral of a teenager who had accidentally hung himself in the backyard of his home. Not mentioned at the funeral was the view of the young man's friends that his death was no accident. He had died after repeatedly listening to Black Sabbath records, and seemed to have imbibed more than he bargained on.

3. A sense of incompleteness

Judas's death left a gap in the group of the apostles. Any bereavement leaves a gap - whether it's in a family, a work group or a sports team. True comfort doesn't deny the reality of absence and loss.

There was also incompleteness - because Jesus had specifically chosen twelve apostles to represent and rule over the twelve tribes of Israel - and now there were only eleven. 'I confer on you a kingdom', Jesus had told them, 'so that you may... sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel' (Luke 22: 29-30, NIV). Later on it wasn't deemed necessary to replace James, the brother of John and leader of the church in Jerusalem. James didn't defect, as Judas had; he was faithful to death, and indeed died a martyr's death (Acts 12: 1-2).

Addressing the problem ...

It's important to face failure, bereavement, or trauma directly, not avoid it. Avoiding a problem doesn't solve it ; it only postpones its resolution, entrenches it, pushes it deeper. So the apostles moved to appoint a twelfth apostle. Notice they used four forms of guidance:

1. The Bible

The general direction of the Scriptures indicated that a replacement for Judas should be appointed. 'May another take his place of leadership' (Psalm 109: 8, NIV, quoted Acts 1: 20).

2. Common sense

It was recognised that if Judas's substitute was to have the same ministry as the other apostles, he must also have the same qualifications to be an apostle. This meant that any replacement, like the other apostles, had to be a companion of Jesus' ministry from its very beginning at his baptism by John the Baptist, right down to being an eyewitness of Jesus' resurrection and ascension (Acts 1: 21-22).

3. Prayer

Having searched the Scriptures and used their common sense, they prayed to God asking him to guide them. They prayed to the Lord because he is the one who alone knows every human heart. He is literally the 'cardiac diagnostician' or 'heart-knower', who 'can read everyone's heart' (Acts 1: 24, JB).

4. Direct guidance

In their case direct guidance was by casting lots to choose between Joseph and Matthias (Acts 1: 26). Lots had once been used to divide up the land among the twelve tribes (Numbers 26: 52-56). Now this method was used to complete the number of the twelve apostles. Casting lots was used in discerning the direct will of God in particular situations. 'The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is the LORD's alone.' (Proverbs 16: 33, NRSV).

This is the last reference in the Bible to the Old Testament practice of casting lots (binary guidance, on-off, either-or !). Henceforth, as we see in the book of Acts, this is replaced by analogue guidance - the direct, inner, personal guidance of the Holy Spirit.

... and dealing with failure

If we have failed or been hurt in our lives, we need to face up to our areas of failure or hurt, and deal positively with them. Here are three areas to check out, to see if you have dealt fully with them and been ministered to for these hurts and failures:

1. Betrayal

Have you dealt with broken relationships, disloyalty, or rejection - from children or parents, husband or wife, work colleagues, ministers, churches or church leaders ?

2. Trauma

Have you experienced or suffered from the suicide of a close friend or family member, tragedy, terrorism, violence, abuse, rape, incest, or some shock or trauma ?

3. Incompleteness

Are you still grieving after a bereavement, from the loss or absence of a loved one ? Are you struggling with a sense of unfulfilment, an inability to live up to your goals ? Incompleteness can lead to meaninglessness or frustration.

Invite God's Holy Spirit to come into your life, bringing healing, completeness and overflowing joy. We're going to see that that's what happened to the apostles and early Christians.

Rob Yule, 16 March 2003

© 2003, Greyfriars Presbyterian Church