WE NEED MORE MEN

LIKE MATTHIAS

Acts 1:15-26

Sunday Morning Sermon

June 14, 1998, Father’s Day

Fair Avenue Baptist Church

The Book of Acts begins after the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  In Acts Chapter One we find the last recorded words of Christ here on earth.  We also find the ascension of Christ into Heaven.

The very title of the Book is a description of what is in the Book - The Acts of the Apostles.  Acts meaning actions or deeds of the apostles of Jesus Christ.

It is a record of many things done by the apostles and disciples - and what happened in the First New Testament Church at Jerusalem.

In this Book of The Acts of the Apostles we find many wonderful things. 

We read about 10 - 15 - 20 thousand people getting saved and thousands baptized, in fact, 3,000 were baptized on the Day of Pentecost alone.  We read about the miracles of healing and deliverance.

It is a wonderful book and one you and I should read regularly.  That’s why we make it a part of our Walking With God Notebooks.

In this first chapter we find the ascension of Jesus Christ.  What a scene that must have been.  Jesus ascending into heaven through the clouds.  It must have been something.  Wouldn’t you have like to been there?

They left the ascension and went to the Upper Room.  The Upper Room is a famous story because it rolls over into Chapter Two.

We think about the ascension and say AMEN.  We know about the Upper Room and the eventual Pentecost and all those people getting saved and baptized.  Think of it, 3,000 people getting baptized in one day.  Dr. Jack Hyles in May of 1998 saw over 5,000 baptized in a single day at First Baptist Church of Hammond.

The first chapter is famous for the ascension and the second chapter is famous for the Day of Pentecost.

But in all the years I’ve been in the ministry I don’t believe I’ve ever heard a message like the one I’m going to preach this morning.

I’ve read these chapters as you have and there is a man mentioned in Chapter One about whom little is said in the Bible.

Yet, the testimony of this man is a testimony that every man should want to have.

Matthias and Joseph were two men appointed to be the replacement for Judas Iscariot.

They must have been worthy men because they were the choices for replacement.

And we read here that Matthias was chosen by the apostles and disciples to be that replacement for Judas.

This morning I want to talk about this man Matthias.

His testimony is a wonderful story.  And it is often overlooked.  And it a testimony that every man needs to have.  It is a testimony that every father needs to have.

According to VERSE 21 Matthias had followed Jesus since day one.

“all the time” means the entire ministry of Christ while He was here on the earth.

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

Here was a man who had been a faithful follower of Jesus Christ from the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus.

From the beginning to the end...

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

From the baptism of Christ to the ascension, Matthias was there.

He was devoted,

He was dedicated,

He was consecrated.

All the time,

From the beginning.

What a great testimony.

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

Faithful,

All the time - that’s what the Bible says!

From the beginning,

Peter spoke of the testimony of this man Matthias.

As I study the Scripture I find very little written about this man.  In fact, his name is only mentioned in these two verses of Acts 1.

But there are a few things I do see.

FIRST, I see a man who didn’t care about any recognition.

You never read about Peter, James, John and Matthias.

It is never recorded that Jesus spoke a word to Matthias, though I’m sure He did a time or two.

We read about conversations with Peter, James and John.  Conversations with Thomas and others.  But never do we read about Matthias.

But he was there all the time,

from the baptism of Christ,

all the way to the ascension of Christ,

to the Upper Room.

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

Matthias never sought the limelight.

And I don’t believe he wasn’t concerned about any recognition.

James and John wanted special recognition, they wanted to sit next to Jesus on the left hand and right hand side. (Mark 10:35)

But not Matthias.

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

For Matthias to have stuck it out through the entire ministry, it had to be that he just wanted to be a blessing to the Lord.

He just loved the Lord,

He loved the Lord’s work.

He just wanted to serve.

He just wanted to be there.

He just wanted to follow the Lord.

He just wanted to be a part of what God was doing.

Why can’t more men just serve?

Why can’t more men just be a blessing?

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

Too many men want some kind of recognition,

They want the limelight.

And if they don’t get the recognition they get upset and get their feelings hurt.

“I want to be a deacon.”

OKAY, but will you VISIT EVERY WEEK on a bus route so boys and girls can come to church and get saved?

“I want to be a trustee.”

OKAY, but will you pass out tracts in Leonard Park or at the Outlet Mall?

“I want to be the church treasurer.”

OKAY, but do you go soul winning and try to win people to the Lord?

Hey, men, what are you doing to put someone in the pew?

If Dr. Joe Boyd at age 81 can make 33 visits in one week, what is your excuse?

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

Men, when was the last time you witnessed to someone?

Matthias did.

Men, when was the last time you tried to win a soul to Christ?

Matthias did.

Men, when was the last time you went with someone to try and win someone to Christ?

Men, when was the last time your son or daughter went soul winning with you and watched you try to win someone to Jesus?

Have you ever taken your children with you out soul winning?

I’m sure Matthias did.

He was there the entire ministry of Christ.

He and this man named Joseph are the only men mentioned in the Bible, outside of the apostles, as having been with Jesus His entire ministry.

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

Matthias didn’t seek the limelight,

Matthias didn’t seek the recognition,

and he didn’t get any.

But, really, he did.  Now, here some 2,000 years later we are reading about this man named Matthias.  He did get the recognition but it came after he died.

He got the recognition in the Word of God.

Three-and-a-half years,

No recognition,

No limelight,

No glory,

No nothing!

But he remained faithful,

He started at the beginning,

And he lasted until the very end.

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS.

In fact, after Acts Chapter One, no more recognition.

No stories,

No miracles,

No healings,

No preaching,

No nothing.

But he remained faithful.

There were 120 people in the Upper Room.  And let’s assume there were at least 90-100 men, because it talks of disciples in VERSE 15.  There were probably 90-100 men in the Upper Room.

Possibly 100 men,

But only 2 men were appointed,

Only one was chosen.

A lot of good men were available,

Probably good men,

Disciples,

Followers of Christ,

Two were appointed,

But only one was chosen.

Surely in those three plus years he got his feelings hurt at least once.

If he had been like the average Baptist he would have got his feelings hurt several times and thought about leaving.

Surely once or twice in those three years he did something and no one thanked him for it.

Surely once or twice he needed some counseling but didn’t get it.

Surely two or three times in those three years he did a job or two, ran an errand, or something, and no one even said thanks.

Surely in those three plus years he felt ignored.

“Well, that old Peter and James and John, they get all the good preaching jobs.  Jesus stuck me with the children’s group.  Peter got the adults and James got the teenagers.”

“Well, old Andrew and Phillip get the evangelistic meetings.  I have to stay behind and clean up after everyone finishes eating.  Twelve baskets left over.  What a mess!  And I’ve got to clean it up.”

He could have said those things but I don’t believe he did.  WHY?  Because God would not have chosen a disgruntled or gripey person to be an apostle.

Peter, James and John got most all of the recognition.

Peter, James and John got to go on the Mountain of Transfiguration where they saw Moses and Elijah.

John is described as the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Not Matthias.

He wasn’t part of the inner circle of eleven.

He wasn’t in on the decision making team.  He didn’t get to sit in on the meetings.  That was Peter, James and John.

He was just faithful.

He was dedicated.

He was there all the time.

Good times and bad times.

WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE MATTHIAS!

When Jesus was escaping the murderous Jews, Matthias was probably covering Jesus’ trail so He could get away.

He was just a servant for the Lord.

Matthias was there for everything.

He was there all the time.

If our churches had more men like Matthias, maybe we could see more days like Pentecost.

By the time we get to Acts Chapter One, there are only 11 apostles but there were 120 in the upper room.

Within days THREE THOUSAND PLUS were added to the church.

How did they do it?

Did the eleven do it by themselves?

Of course not, they were surrounded by men like Matthias.

Do we want to see God bless, I mean, do we want to see God really bless?

Men, would you like to see more weeks like the one with Dr. Boyd where we saw 64 people walk the aisles and 49 got baptized?  Would you like to see more weeks like that?

THEN DECIDE TO BE MORE LIKE MATTHIAS!