Title:- The Glory of God's Hidden Gifts
Acts 1:26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Not that God has finished His dealings with the twelve tribes of old, not that God has finished dealing with national Israel of today, but Jesus chose twelve disciples to form an inner circle of His followers who served to symbolize the truth that He had come to build a new house of Israel, a spiritual house. For this new house, God the Father laid not the law down as a foundation for this new building of God, but laid down the good and the gracious Messiah Saviour Himself! Now God did not set up as pillars in His spiritual temple the literal twelve tribes of Israel, but rather twelve mere men as twelve foundational apostolic gateways into the living city of God. The essential qualification of an apostle is simply being called and sent by Christ. However, in the case of choosing Matthias, it is further stated that “such a person must have been a disciple of Jesus from John's baptism to the ascension and specifically a witness of the resurrection.”
The name Matthias means, “gift of Jehovah.” What a prophetic name! Matthias then, was God’s gift to them all, God’s replacement for the fallen. Matthias was empowered, anointed and sent by God! Having said all that though, nothing reliable is recorded of his later life? In fact, he is not mentioned again in the New Testament! So who was this seemingly unopened gift of God? Well, the early fathers believed him to be one of the seventy disciples. One tradition says that he preached the Gospel in Judea and was then stoned to death by the Jewish leaders. Others make him a martyr by crucifixion in Ethiopia. The fact is, we just don’t know. We just don’t know.
Rather than be confused by lack of information regarding this hidden apostle, we need to take great encouragement. For among us there are many hidden 'gifts of God,' whose names are rarely mentioned; whose names are hardly known. Nonetheless, they are people who witness to the power and resurrection of Jesus. These shall go on, spend and be spent, even to the point of death and the world, unworthy of them, shall not know them and the church not yet knowing them, shall in the end count them as honoured and most wonderful in Christ’s coming Kingdom.
We are not yet home. I often wonder if the real champions and the awesome heroes of His story are yet to be revealed? I think they are. Remember that Jesus gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and continually gives them until we are gathered together in one body, transformed from the church militant to the church triumphant. So then, until the completion, until the marriage supper, as the giver just keeps on giving let us then continually look for God’s unlikeliest gifts among us. We might be surprised at just who God has chosen to serve Him in these ways!
What about you today friend? Are you a bright shooting star, roaring across the dark heavens of this world for all to see and drop their jaws at? Probably not, and frankly you might not feel too good about that anyway because the problem with shooting stars is they always burn up or make a catastrophic mess when they eventually come down to earth! No, I simply want to encourage you today in your faithfulness to Jesus and His calling on your life, for I tell you, we shall be surprised when in heaven, at the revelation of secret saints, the hidden champions, who walk forward to claim the prize of their warfare! The canon is closed but the cannonade of victory celebrations shall in heaven, reveal more of Matthias and his like than we ever dreamed of! Christ’s story continues friends, so take the pen of Gods faith, the ink of His love and the hope of His parchment and write your very own chapter long and large for everyone to see, for in the end, see they will!
Listen: - "but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” Matt 20:23b
Pray: - Father, show us in the church those gifts whom You have sovereignly separated for such great works. Also dear Lord, please show me what works You have prepared for me to do, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment