TITLE: TWELVE ORDINARY MEN
SCRIPTURE: ST. LUKE 6:12-16
(There is no claim as to originality as many sources were drawn from for the development of this message. I have adapted to my style and transitions in support of the theses statement of this message)
This morning we begin our walk through this new year of 2020 and the start of a new decade. As I think back over the past decade, we have all lost loved ones during that time, we have all been affected. As we begin this new journey for the year and the decade, we simply say Thank You Lord. I have spent much time seeking God’s face as to the direction for this first sermon of the New Year. I asked the Lord to help me in giving focus to this ministry and understand what the Lord is saying to us as we begin a fresh start once again. With this fresh start of the year let’s leave some stuff there as well.
I want to talk to us this morning from the subject – TWELVE ORDINARY MEN. I believe this will be a message we can look back upon for the duration of this year and perhaps years to come. I pray we find ourselves in the message this morning. I want to begin with a fairly simple Question -- How Many Of You Can Name The Twelve Apostles?
• Some of their names are familiar
• Others are not remembered
• The average church member cannot name more than one-half of the twelve
• Most mistakenly include Mark and Luke
Many in the church today have the wrong ideas about the twelve.
--A group of tourists in Europe gazed at the stained glass windows of a lovely church.
Each window displayed the portrait of a different disciple.
Noting halos around their heads, their angelic expressions, and beautiful smiles,
someone remarked, "What saints the apostles must have been!"
But this is a misconception
The disciples were ordinary men.
• They were real people
• Faltering mortals who lived on Second Avenue in some Galilean town
• They were not old men
• They were young -- probably in their twenties
• Perhaps, John was in his late teens, and Peter was near 30
• They came from the lower or middle classes, earning their livelihood by ordinary occupations
• They were all Jews
• They were imperfect men
• The Gospels picture the disciples as men with imperfections and weaknesses
By the time Jesus begun his public ministry he was quickly surrounded in controversy, yet the people followed and followed in great numbers because of the miracles He had performed and teaching as one who had authority. Many things were going on in the ministry of our Lord at this time.
• He’s been calling people to repent
• He’s been forgiving sin
• He’s been preaching the Kingdom of God
• He’s been healing every disease
• He’s been casting out demons
One would think everyone would love Jesus and be on his side.
• You would think all of Jerusalem would rally behind Him and listen and obey
• But that’s not the case
It’s not the case today either. You would think when Jesus offers the opportunity to have sins forgiven, people would jump at such a chance - but most don’t.
• We would line up for miles to have our Credit Card Debt Forgiven
• We would stand in line for hours to have our Student Loans Forgiven
• We would wait in line all night long to have our Mortgage or Car Notes Forgiven
• But Sins Forgiven – many have no interest in that at all
When hearts have been hardened by Sin and Pride, they will not yield in submission to Jesus. That’s the catch. Jesus does offer to forgive sins but along with this forgiveness is one catch. The catch is in the Bible.
• Along with seeking Christ as Savior, we must Submit to Him as Lord
• You can’t slice Jesus up and say, well, I like the Savior part but not so much the Lord part
• I like having my sins forgiven and I really like the thought of going to heaven, but I really don’t have a desire to conform my lifestyle to His teaching
• Rather than being a unifying force, Jesus has always caused division
Let’s visit the text -- IN THESE DAYS HE WENT OUT TO THE MOUNTAIN TO PRAY, AND ALL NIGHT HE CONTINUED IN PRAYER TO GOD. We are not told specifically what Jesus prayed for. However, it’s not too difficult to discover.
• This was a rare occasion in which Jesus prayed all night
• Like most, when night-time came, He was tired and slept
• This was a special night, the eve before the selection of the twelve disciples
Choosing of the twelve was a divine event.
• Christianity is built on these men whom God ordained to be Disciples and eventual Apostles
• The Christian faith is not man’s idea or invention
• It is solely a work of our Sovereign God
• Christianity is the new patch that cannot be sewn into an old garment
• It’s the new wine that cannot be poured into old wineskins
Jesus was up all night praying. HE, THE FATHER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT HAVE SET DOWN IN ETERNITY PAST WHO THE TWELVE APOSTLES WOULD BE. Eleven are going to follow Christ and one is going to betray Him. However, all twelve will do what God has decreed to be done, even Judas.
• Judas in his own power will betray Christ and Jesus will be crucified exactly according to plan
• God does not make Judas sin, Judas does that all by himself
• However, Judas’ sin will serve perfectly the purposes of God
We must ask the question why did Jesus choose twelve? The number twelve was not coincidental. Jesus chose twelve disciples because his plan included the full renewal of Israel and its’ Twelve Tribes -
• Reuben
• Simeon
• Levi
• Judah
• Issachar
• Zebulun
• Dan
• Naphtali
• Gad
• Asher
• Joseph (later split into the "half-tribes" of Ephraim and Manasseh)
• Benjamin
The 12 heads of the tribes of Israel were to be replaced by the 12 Jewish Apostles who would lead Israel into the renewed future defined by redemption. Twelve is a symbolic number. There were twelve tribes of Israel. However, during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Israel had grown to be corrupt.
• The religion of Judaism had given up Divine Grace for Human Works
• The calling of the twelve Apostles was an indictment against the religious system of Judaism
• Jesus didn’t choose twelve Rabbis or twelve Pharisees
• The men He chose were not a part of this religious system at all
• The twelve Apostles would be the New Israel
With this new Israel Jesus brings in the New Covenant. This coming Kingdom is very different than what the traditional religion anticipated. Out of all those who were following Jesus, why does He select the ones He does?
• First, we must turn to the Scriptures to see that the twelve did not chose Jesus
• He chose them
• That’s the typical order of things in the spiritual realm
• God chooses and we follow
We find these words recorded in ST. JOHN 15:16 - “YE HAVE NOT CHOSEN ME, BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU, AND ORDAINED YOU, THAT YE SHOULD GO AND BRING FORTH FRUIT, AND THAT YOUR FRUIT SHOULD REMAIN: THAT WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK OF THE FATHER IN MY NAME, HE MAY GIVE IT YOU.” In this text from John’s Gospel we are also shown the purpose for which everyone is called and those that are going to bear fruit.
This is true of the Apostles and it is also true of us concerning Salvation. They were chosen to bear fruit and we are also chosen to bear fruit. In other words, salvation of the sinner is primarily to bring glory to God as the saved sinner bears fruit.
• Fruit-bearing is the purpose of Salvation
• We so often think that salvation is primarily for us to escape hell
• We do escape hell only when our salvation is real, resulting in bearing fruit
• We are not told why Jesus chose the ones He did
• We don’t know why or often who Jesus has chosen today
• There is one category though that those chosen fall into
• It’s just like God to choose the way He does
• He does things differently than the world does things and it is especially seen here
If I were to choose Apostles, I might be looking for -
• Men with high IQ’s
• Men with the proper Pedigree
• Well Polished Orators
• Right Socio-Economical Standing
• I might look to see who has shown Entrepreneurship in the past as an indicator to their success in starting something new
• But, that’s not at all how God selects
God chooses the ordinary and works through them to bring about amazing results. Aren’t you glad about that!
• God doesn’t call the Qualified
• He Qualifies the called!
• No matter where you are in your life with God, He is qualifying you for his service because you are called
• He can help you overcome the mistakes you have made
• Even use them to help others
• Just allow Him to use you
• The Kingdom of God advances through ordinary people called by God to bear fruit
• Let’s not kid ourselves or give ourselves false hope, bearing fruit advances the Kingdom of God because it is reproducing other Christians
God choses Ordinary men and women to do the work of the Kingdom. Look at some that God has used to do his bidding –
• JACOB – was a Cheater
• PETER – had a Temper
• DAVID – had an Affair
• NOAH – was a Drunk
• JONAH – ran from God
• PAUL – was a Murderer
• GIDEON – was Insecure
• MIRIAM – was a Gossiper
• MARTHA – was a Worrier
• THOMAS – was a Doubter
• SARA – was Impatient
• ELIJAH – was Moody
• MARY MAGDALENE – was a Hooker
• MOSES – Stuttered
• ZACCHEUS – was Short
• ABRAHAM – was Old
• LAZARUS – was Dead
• They were not perfect but Ordinary just like you and me
Look at these men that Jesus selected as his 12 Disciples, they were – 12 ORDINARY MEN -- Look at these disciples through the sermon of PETER MARSHALL, "DISCIPLES IN CLAY."
• PETER stood there smelling of fish - Uncouth -- Uncultured - Impulsive and Impetuous
• ANDREW, JAMES, and JOHN also reeked of fish oil, and the lack refinement
• PHILIP appeared Indecisive
• THOMAS radiated Cynicism
• MATTHEW was considered a traitor to his country
• ZEALOT SIMON was a dangerous revolutionary
• JUDAS was a thief
No one would have labeled this group "Most Likely To Succeed" in their High School Year Book
• It is likely that even some of the disciples would not have chosen each other to be members of the group
• We would not have selected any of them to lead ministries here in our Church
• They were too Ordinary
The Twelve. The most striking thing about the twelve was there really wasn’t anything particularly spectacular about them.
• They were not superhuman or even extraordinary
• The only thing that set them apart and made them great leaders was they were chosen by a great Teacher precisely because they were ordinary
That makes perfectly good sense.
• God chooses the ordinary and works through them to bring about amazing results
• When people see that the amazing things are coming through ordinary people, they realize that the success is from God alone not from man
There are so many ordinary people that had many apparent failures in their lives and went on to be eminently successful.
• The teachers of THOMAS EDISON told his parents that their son was too stupid to learn anything
• A 21-year-old youth, working in a dry goods store, was judged by his employers unfit to meet the public. His name was F. W. WOOLWORTH
• WALT DISNEY was fired by a newspaper because he "had no good ideas." When he took his drawings to a famous editor, he was told that he had no real talent
• ROBERT BROWNING submitted a volume of poems to a famous London editor who, after reviewing them, wrote across the front, "Froth, nonsense, trash." Robert Browning was a prolific Victorian-era poet and playwright. He is widely recognized as a master of dramatic monologue and psychological portraiture
• A Harvard University drop out and his best friend from grade school days would build a company that would dramatically change the way the world does business. Microsoft, one of the world’s top software companies, founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who are now billionaires would grow to become one of the world’s most popular, profitable, and influential companies
• The apostles in their early days seemed like a nondescript group headed for oblivion, but because of their association with Jesus ultimately turned the world upside down
Can I tell you on this First Sunday of the New Year there is nothing so special about you or me either.
• Nothing that qualified us to lead a ministry in this Church
• Nothing so special about us that qualified us to work at the State Level of our Convention
• No special Talent that God was so impressed with He just had to have us in that position of service in this Church
• We were simply Ordinary in the eyes of God
Jesus takes undone lumps of clay and as the divine potter molds these ordinary men into extraordinary apostles.
• Before it’s all over these men would be writers of Scripture, workers of miracles in the name of Jesus, and they would take the message of the Gospel to the ends of the known world
• In the end most would even give their lives for the sake of their Master
God takes the Lowly - Meek - Humble and does amazing things through His Power.
• Satan might try to convince us that our shortcomings render us useless for God and His Kingdom
• This account should prove to us all that Satan’s words are lies
• The fact that we are weak and lack power should remind us that we are exactly the kind of people God often uses
--The Apostles are a special group of men Jesus selected for a specific purpose
--He is choosing no more Apostles like these
--But Jesus calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things today
--Is there something God is calling you to do?
--How would God get the most glory from your life?
--Remember, If God always chose the RICH then Money could move the Kingdom of God forward
--If God only chose the WELL EDUCATED or HIGHLY TRAINED then Man could move the Kingdom of God forward
--God usually chooses those who are plain and ordinary so that the world will acknowledge that the Kingdom of God will only move forward because of the wisdom and power of God alone
--God has chosen you in this season to advance His Kingdom
--We are ordinary, but we can make a big difference if we allow God to use us
--Let’s make a difference and take charge of our Tribes, our families and lead them back to the Church
--God wants to use us, Ordinary People to take back our families and our communities
--God wants to use us Ordinary People to point our families and world back to Christ
--God wants to use us Ordinary People to let our Light so Shine
--God want to use us Ordinary People
