The Lord Jesus had 12 original disciples, but those men were just the first of many more followers of Christ.

They are an example for us to learn from and a reminder that God works in ordinary people.

Are you a true follower of Jesus Christ?

Let's study the 12th with Scott Pauli today

and find truth that will help us all to follow more closely to Christ.

There are several people in Scripture that are referred to as apostles.

In fact, the Bible says in Ephesians that God gave some apostles.

So that was a gift to the early New Testament church.

In fact, even our Lord in the book of Hebrews is referred to as

the great apostle and high priest of our profession. He was the ultimate sent one.

We're concentrating on the original disciples, the original apostles, and we know that there

were 12, and we know that one of those was not a true follower of Jesus Christ. He rejected Christ,

betrayed Christ, went to his own place, and that was Judas. We studied him in our last time together.

So my question today is this, who took Judas's place? It's a great question, isn't it? And there's a lot

of debate about it in Acts chapter number one where we studied the last mention of Judas, the context is that Peter and the disciples were selecting someone to take Judas's place. In fact, in Acts 1, verse 21, it says, wherefore of these men, which have accompanied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus

went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the same day that he was

taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed

two, Joseph called Bar Sabbath, who was surname Justice and Matthias, and they prayed and said

thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou has chosen.

So they're trying to discern who it is that is supposed to take Judas's place.

The Bible says in verse 26, they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon

Matthias, and he was numbered with the 11 apostles.

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