Introduction
The story is told of a group of men who had been sailing in the Atlantic Ocean when they came too close to shore and crashed against the rocks. Out of concern for other sailors in similar conditions, the surviving group determined to build a lighthouse to warn others of the impending dangers ahead. Those who did not see the light were rescued by those who had built and operated the station.
As it happened, those who crashed and were rescued had a common bond, so they began to hang out at the station to share stories and time together. As they worked and drew more people in, the rescue station began to evolve. With so many people there became the greater need of improved facilities. They began installing more comforts to accommodate their gatherings, put together a few fundraisers to pay for improvements, and even inserted plaques around the place to commemorate those who had served so faithfully.
In time speakers were brought in to help people adjust to their new lives in the rescue station. They were taught how to rescue people, the benefits of rescuing people, and of the need to start other rescue stations up and down the coast. The more they met the more they built and added on and got together, but in doing so they spent less time actually rescuing people. “I don’t want to get wet!” “It’s cold out there!” “Can’t we hire someone to come in and watch for people so we can continue our meetings?” (Credit: Kevin Higgins)
Sounds an awful lot like church doesn’t it? In many ways, we’ve become more concerned with comforts, preferences, and programs than the life-saving ministry of the gospel which reaches out and drags people from sin’s destiny. I remember just a year ago, the church wasn’t in the building. We were mobilized because of COVID. Now we slowly drift back to old patterns. Enough.
Today we’re looking at twelve men Jesus called to be his disciples. Twelve ordinary men were called to do extraordinary ministry. Twelve men would never land a job as a pastor of a church. Men who were bombastic, prideful, crass, outcasts, but willing to answer the call, follow the Master, and leave behind their life.
John McArthur wrote his book called 12 Ordinary Men, “If you were going to recruit a team to alter the course of history, how would you begin? Jesus began with a walk by the lake. “Follow Me.” The Master told them. And they did. Thus began His uncommon mission with twelve most common individuals: men who would become Christ’s very first disciples. Have you ever considered who Jesus didn’t choose for His inner circle? He didn’t select a rabbi. He didn’t recruit scholars. He didn’t look within the religious establishment to build His team. Any of these would have given Him an inside track with those in power. Instead, he assembled a ragtag bunch of folks with unimpressive resumes. Jesus wasn’t looking for religious superiority or extraordinary talent. Jesus wanted ordinary people – people with hopes and dreams of their own, but people who were willing to leave their lives behind to follow the Savior. People like you.”
This morning we’re going to take a brief look at these disciples. We could spend weeks coving the life and legacy of these men. I want to provide you a survey of their lives.
1. The Precedence of Prayer
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In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12 ESV)
What keeps you up all night? Sometimes stress over family or your job. What about making a big decision? Most of us would say, ‘let's sleep on it,’ but Jesus spent the whole night praying over who he would choose for his disciples. Have you? From the way we choose pastors to our teachers and helpers, many times we’re happy just to find someone with a pulse and a personality. I know you prayed about calling me as your pastor, but usually selecting a pastor turns into a personality and preaching contest.
Jesus didn’t do any such thing. Listen to me: there was plenty of leadership material and plenty of educated men who knew the Word of God. But when Jesus chose those who would lead in this new endeavor, He chose twelve of the most unlikely and unqualified men. Jesus didn’t conduct a poll. He didn’t make His decision based on who or what was popular or normal. He got away from the crowds and the noise and the busyness and spent a night in prayer. Why? Because God knows what we do not know. God knows who will be faithful. God knows who will take a stand. God sees tomorrow; we cannot – we must put our absolute trust in Him when it comes to choosing those who will lead in our church.
Here’s what happens when we do not pray: we get the wrong people in the wrong places doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons. If you want to know the hear of the Father, Pray. If you need direction in your life, Pray. Don’t just pray when you are in need or don’t know what to do. Pray at all times about all things and pray until something happens. "Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness." Carey, William (Credit: Sermon Central) That’s what Jesus did, and if Jesus needed to pray then we must too.
Now, let us look at these twelve that Jesus chose, and whom we probably wouldn’t
2. The Twelve Disciples
13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Lk 6:13–16).
Before we look at them individually, let’s make two observations about them as a whole. Twelve seems to be an important number to God. It comes to represent the number of God’s government. There are 12 tribes in Israel. There were 12 stones on the High Priest’s breastplate. There were 12 spies sent into the Promised Land. In heaven, there are 12 gates and 12 foundations to the New Holy City. 12 different fruits on the Tree of Life.
It is interesting that several of them were biological brothers. – Peter/Andrew, and James/John. But we are told that Matthew and the other James were both sons of Alphaeus. At least four of them were fishermen. Being fishermen certainly translated well into becoming fishers of men.
Peter – The Bold Initiator
Peter is mentioned first in each of the lists of the apostles and clearly was the main leader. He was a fisherman and was also called Simon and Cephas. He eventually lived up to the name Jesus gave him – “The Rock.” He was bold and strong and helped him in his leadership, which also got him into trouble. Strong leaders are usually arrogant and Peter was no exception.
It will be Peter who steps out of the boat and starts sinking. (Matthew 14:29). It will be Peter who tries to correct Jesus when he tells his disciples that he must be crucified. (Matthew 16:23) . It will be Peter who cuts the ear off Malchus, the servant of the High Priest when they come to arrest Jesus (John 18:10).
It’s easy to be critical of Peter, but that boldness was also to be commended. He was the first to confess Jesus as the Christ and Jesus called him the Rock (Matthew 16:18). He was bold enough to follow Jesus into the courtyard during Jesus’ trial, but then denied knowing Jesus when put on the spot.
But after the resurrection, Jesus reinstated Peter (John 21:15-25) and he became a great leader in the early church. Peter wrote 1st and 2nd Peter and some think that Mark was Peter’s scribe, which would make Mark’s Gospel, Peter’s Gospel. Tradition tells us that Peter was later crucified by Nero in Rome. He asked to be crucified upside-down because Peter said that he was unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.
Andrew – The Gatherer
It may have been hard to be Peter’s brother, but Andrew seems to handle it just fine. Andrew also was a fisherman. He was a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35-42), and after being pointed toward Jesus, he brought others to Christ – Peter, and some God-fearing Greeks, and then the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Andrew is mentioned only 3 times, outside the lists of apostles, but we see that he was faithful, and tradition says he was crucified.
James – The Competitor
This James was the brother of John and the son of Zebedee. Jesus referred to them as the “Sons of Thunder” because of their fiery temperament. And like their mother, they had a lot of nerve-seeking positions of glory. Jesus promised them suffering, and James was the first apostle to be killed – Herod had him put to death by the sword (Acts. 12:1-2).
John – The Disciple Jesus Loved
He is the brother of James and the son of Zebedee. He reclined next to Jesus at the last supper. He was given charge of Jesus’ mother. He was probably the youngest of the apostles and lived the longest. He wrote the gospel of John, and the letters of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John. He was exiled to the Island of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. Tradition says that he died a natural death, but only because they couldn’t find a way to kill him. Most likely, John was arrested in Ephesus and faced martyrdom when his enemies threw him in a huge basin of boiling oil. However, according to the tradition, John was miraculously delivered from death. The authorities then sentenced John to slave labor in the mines of Patmos. He died as an old man sometime after AD 98, the only apostle to die peacefully.
Philip – A Little Slow
Philip was from Bethsaida and therefore likely knew Peter, Andrew, James, and John. He is not to be confused with Philip the servant in Acts 6. Jesus called Phillip and he immediately invited his friend Nathaniel to join them. He is quoted in John as saying, “Show us the Father and that will be good enough for us.” (Jn. 14:8-9) Tradition tells us that he preached in Phrygia and was crucified in the time of Domitian.
Bartholomew – Honest One
He was from Cana and was also known as Nathanael. He was praised by Jesus for having no guile – meaning that he was forthright and truthful (John 1:45-51). Jesus took a good man and made him better. Tradition tells us that he was crucified and buried in Armenia.
Matthew – Tax Collector
We talked about Matthew quite a bit the other week. This former tax collector probably sacrificed more from a financial standpoint than any of the other disciples. Imagine the strife between Matthew and someone like Peter, a fisherman. After being called to follow Jesus, he threw a party for his friends so they could meet Jesus. He wrote the gospel of Matthew which was primarily for a Jewish audience and seeks to show how Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy.
Thomas – The Doubter
He was also called Didymus (the twin). He is remembered for doubting the resurrection of Jesus until he had personal evidence (John 20:25). It demonstrates that the Apostles were not gullible and because when he was eventually given concrete proof, he believed, we can also believe. Tradition says that he was thrust through with spears and buried in India.
James – The Lesser
He is not to be confused with James the Son of Zebedee, nor James the brother of Jesus who wrote the book of James. His nickname is “James the Less,” perhaps because he was shorter, or humbler than the other James. Other than in the lists of apostles, he is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Tradition tells us that while preaching in Jerusalem, he was stoned to death and buried beside the Temple.
Simon – The Zealot
The Zealots were Jewish revolutionaries who opposed Rome. So imagine the tension between him and Matthew. Simon was a tax protester.
Judas, Son of James – Not Iscariot
He may have taken the name “Thaddaeus” which means the warm-hearted, because of the infamy that came to be attached to the name Judas. He is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Tradition says that he preached to the people of Edessa, to all Mesopotamia, and died and was buried at Berytus.
Judas Iscariot – The Betrayer
It is not surprising that Judas is mentioned last in every list of apostles. When we think of Judas, we usually picture him as this shady guy with beady eyes and thick black eyebrows. But in reality, Judas was probably the most trusted person in the group of disciples – that’s why they put him in charge of the money purse. When Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” they all asked, “Is it me?” Somehow Satan got to Judas. In his remorse, Judas committed suicide by hanging himself. A very sad ending indeed.
Conclusion
These twelve unlikely men formed a nucleus of a band that conquered the ancient world with grace. And when we to heaven, we will find the names of this ordinary bunch written on the foundations of the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14). God delights in taking ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Now we will not find our names written on the walls of heaven, or find ourselves facing martyrdom for our faith, but our calling is no less. One of the supreme glories of God’s call is that our weakness is the opportunity for his power—our ordinariness makes room for his extraordinariness. This was gloriously true in the case of Moses (Exodus 2, 4), David (1 Samuel 16–17), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1).
“God can achieve his purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them. All through history God has chosen and used nobodies because their unusual dependence on him made possible the unique display of his power and grace. He chose and used somebodies only when they renounced dependence on their natural abilities and resources.” -Oswald Chambers
When Politicians stand for applause, heaven doesn’t bat an eye. When a celebrity wins an award in Holywood, the angels hardly take notice. When scholars write papers, theologians argue points, and scientists discover something new, Heaven isn’t impressed. But when a lowly and lost sinner is given a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus, Heaven rejoices! When an ordinary sinner repents and is forgiven, all of heaven celebrates. And when an ordinary person like you or me steps up to answer the call for Jesus, Heaven throws a party.
