Called To Be Disciples Series

You and I can make a significant contribution to this world today

• If not, Jesus would not have called us to be His disciples or given us the great commission

12 men took on the challenge - to follow Christ and serve Him - and they transformed the world

• It is not about you, but what God can do through you

• Through Him, we can expect to see a change in our lives, in our families, in our church, in our nation

How can we be so sure? Because Jesus did that to 12 men - they did that to their generation, and the generation after them, and the next, and the next, and now in 2005 we’re here worshipping this same God and holding on to this same message Jesus passed on to the 12.

What did Jesus do to them? Mark penned down for us. The course curriculum, or training regime...

• Was this 3-year course a success? YES, because after more than 2000 years later, we’re still hearing the same message and experiencing its power.

Jesus wanted them and appointed them… Mark tells us 3 things they were called to (vv.14-15).

1. they might be with Him - intimate fellowship with Him, as oppose to being the crowd.

2. they are to be send out to preach – continue the work He has started

3. to have authority to drive out demons – given the power (resources) in the line of work.

Put it simply, Jesus calls us to follow Him so that we can

(1) share His life, (2) share His work, and (3) share His power.

• Note the order here – Jesus says they are to first be with Him.

• Only then you go out and preach about Him.

• And when you do that, the power of God will be manifested.

- You’ll see lives changed and bondages broken.

- Demons will have to flee when the Gospel of God is released in the midst of the people.

FIRST – Jesus called them to share His life – to commune with Him, to fellowship with Him.

• The success of the entire work of the Gospel hangs on this!

• The disciples must know Jesus – Who, What, Why, How...

• Which mean they must spend time with Him - it took 3 years, to know His will and His heart.

They must first know Him themselves, only then can the next task be possible.

The work is important, but cannot come first.

• In His prayer in John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

• Only in Jesus, will we have life. And when we have His life, can we share this life.

• You have nothing to give people if we do not know Him - maybe just some good teachings, doctrines

We saw the Jesus Story screening last Easter night, from Matt 24-28.

• One thing stands out – you see Jesus talking mainly to His disciples.

• It was drawing close to the day of the betrayal and His arrest, time is running out.

• Jesus no longer talks to the crowd. In fact, when you see the show, you’ll see the long conversation He had with the disciples. He kept talking and talking to them.

WHY? Because He is going to impart His life, His mission, His entire life purpose to them.

• Jesus saw the needs of the crowd. He saw the cries of the people all over the place.

• But He has to impart His life to these disciples.

• The only way for the Gospel truth to permeate and for lives to be changed, is for these disciples to capture it and pass it on!

Jesus knew when He calls them, that these 12 men must spend time with Him.

• 2 Cor 2:15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

• People were able to see the glow on Moses’ face because he spent time with God.

• Will people see that in us?

Many today do the work without the relationship. Many today want to have the power without an intimate relationship with Jesus.

• Having known Jesus, they neglect their time with Him.

• And yet we expect the power to be there when we want it to be.

We commune with Him today by spending time on His WORD (hearing) and PRAYER (talking to Him).

In the book of Acts, when many other things cut into the time for the WORD and PRAYER, the apostles were overwhelmed by works (Acts 6:1-4), they gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”