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.”
They elected deacons and then in verse 7: “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”
Bros/sis, anchor your relationship with Jesus by spending time on the Word and pray.
• You want to experience the power of God at work in our lives?
• Make these - the WORD and PRAYER - the two pillars of your life. Give priority to these!
I’m glad to see that we’ve now on average about 25 regulars at our prayer meetings.
• Bros/sis, I can testify to you, I see in them, an energy; a motivation, a fire that keeps them going.
• They face the same challenges in life like the rest of us, but there’s a strong faith that keeps them going.
The first priority is to have fellowship with Jesus.
• He called these early disciples to be with Him. He’s calling you to do the same.
• If we want to make real progress in our own Christian lives, we must partake of the life of Jesus by being with Him.
• Apart from spending time with Jesus through His Word and prayer, we simply will not grow.
• There is no shortcut. There is no easy way.
SECOND – and then we share His work.
This is the great commission.
• These disciples’ lives were so transformed by Jesus, that they preach Him all throughout their known world then, against many odds.
• And not just them, but by the grace and power of God disciples down through the centuries carried on this same task.
• Today we are beneficiaries of what Jesus started here with these 12 disciples.
It is encouraging to see what Jesus was able to do with such a diversified group of unlikely candidates for Christian work. There is still hope for us! :-)
Nothing has changed today regarding this call – Jesus is sending you out to preach.
• All have been called to proclaim the Gospel message – by what we say, what we do, by our example, our priorities, our commitments.
• Today we are all called to be representatives of Jesus. We have the privilege of representing Christ.
• Let us rejoice in that and be faithful in that. Allow Christ to show Himself through us!
• We are all capable of doing that well, because He is at work in our lives.
Will it stop with our generation? No, of course not.
• It has not stop for the last 2000 years and it won’t.
• It’s a privilege we’re going to hold on to - ask God for increasing love and passion for the lost.
Are you willing to speak for Him?
Take a good look at these 12 disciples. Why were they chosen?
• From the hundreds of people who followed Jesus from place to place, He chose these 12.
• Not because of their faith - because they often faltered. Not because of their wisdom, because many times they failed to even understand what Jesus was saying.
• He didn’t choose them because of their talent and ability; no one stood out with unusual ability. They were just ordinary people.
The one characteristic they all shared was their willingness to follow Jesus.
• They were not offered a salary. They were not promised anything. But they followed.
• They chose to obey Jesus and learn from Him, all with a willing heart. That’s the key.
Listen to what Paul says here, in Phil 1:4-6
4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is at work. What are really required are not your abilities, skills or wisdom in preaching the Gospel. Being a good disciple does not require special credentials or any qualification.
What is needed is your willingness. Are we willing to humble ourselves and learn from Him, to listen to His Word and do as He says? I think this separates them from the crowd. Ask God to change our hearts!
THIRD – we are called to share His power.
The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you. The resources will always be there - the grace your need, the strength you need...
Mark 6:7 “Calling the 12 to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.”
Subsequently in Acts 3:6 when a crippled man from birth, asked Peter for help:
"Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
We are His ambassadors and we have been given the delegated authority of Christ.
• It was not only given to the disciples then but to all followers of Jesus.
• We are given the authority over the powers of darkness. We have the victory over the devil. Satan is a defeated enemy.
This is the privilege that ONLY WE HAVE.
Acts 19:13-16 “13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15[One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
• Do you know Jesus? We KNOW Him!
• Then can we pray in Jesus’ Name? YES, and we must!
Mt 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Mt 18:18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
What is He talking about? Prayer. That’s the way God’s power is released!
• God has provided you all the resources you need to do His work...
• In the army, when we need something to do our work, we just go to the store and sign out the items... whatever we need!
• Today, we go to God and PRAY in Jesus’ name! That’s the way we’re going to draw out the resources of God for His Kingdom’s work.
Are you going to PRAY? All the resources are there.
• If you’re famished, it is because you’re not asking.
Samuel Chadwick said, "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray."
E.M. Bounds said, "What the church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organizations, or more novel methods; but men whom the Holy Spirit can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men of prayer."
SEHC monthly Prayer Times (April 2005) article on ’Closing in on Closure of the Great Commission’ by Rev Dr Dick Eastman - he said missionary works around the world is progressing at a rapid rate and we may see the return of Christ very soon. Reason?
He was impressed by the intense commitment for mobilizing systematic prayers - 24-hour a day. Could this be the primary reason these ministries have accomplished so much over the years? The immeasurable impact of prayer on the harvest globally is clearly evident. No obstacle can ultimately stand in the way of the praying Church. And because there has never been a greater prayer movement in the history of the Church than today, there is hope that the world may indeed be evangelized in this generation, once and for all!
J. Sidlow Baxter declared: "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our messages, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers."
Conclusion: We are all called to be Christ’s disciples.
The words of Jesus revealed these 3 aspects that we’re called to be involved ALL OUR LIVES: Called to share His life, share His work, and share His power.
THE ’USELESS’ POT
Some time ago, a news story came out of London that caused people to start looking for and inspecting old pots and pans. According to the news, in the lobby of one of the big churches of England was a shabby old pot. No one knew how it got there, and it had been there for more years than anyone could remember. Someone had put the pot in a corner and people often used it to hold their umbrellas while they were participating in worship and other activities.
One day, as an archaeologist was leaving the Sunday morning service and removed his umbrella from the pot, suddenly something caught his attention. He couldn’t believe his eyes - it seemed too good to be true! This "useless" pot turned out to be a prehistoric vessel, with a value almost beyond calculation.
Needless to say, its days of storing umbrellas came to a sudden end. Today this ancient container has been assigned an honored place in a renowned British museum.
It reminds me of this verse in the Bible - 2 Cor 4:7 Paul describes us this way: "we have this treasure in jars of clay..."
Don’t waste your life away. Let us respond to His call, and be faithful disciples of Jesus.
Let us make a commitment today to spend time with Him, so that we can be prepared to share in His work, and bring freedom to the many who are still in bondage today.
Jesus is counting on you.
