Sermon Tone Analysis

Mark 3:13-19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Stephen Caswell © 2001

 

Introduction

 

Recently we have been looking at Christ's command for the apostles to make disciples of all the nations.

In a word this is called ministry!

/Who is responsible to do the work of the ministry?

Is it the just apostles, pastor, evangelists and teachers?

Or is it the responsibility of gifted believers or committed Christians?/ *Ephesians 4:11-12* *gives us the answer:* /And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, *for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry*, for the edifying of the body of Christ, / /till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;/  *All the saints do the work of the ministry.*

Ministry involves everything in the disciple making process.

Evangelism through to building each other up in Christ.

The early Church did this through giving, praying, serving, sharing, teaching, preaching, helping, comforting and encouraging.

The body of Christ needs all its members to work together.

/What qualities is Jesus looking for in His servants?/

Jordan Management Consultants - Evaluation Of Twelve Men

 

Dear Sir, Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for management positions in your new organization.

All of them have now taken our battery of tests and we have not only run the results through our computer but have arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

It is the staff's opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper.

Andrew has no qualities of leadership.

The 2 brothers James and John, sons of Zebedee place personal interests above company loyalty.

Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine moral.

We feel it our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau, James the son of Alpheus and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings and they both registered a high score on the manic depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however shows great potential.

He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places.

He is motivated, ambitious and responsible.

We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right hand man.

All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.

We wish you every success in your new venture.

Yours sincerely, Manager Jordan Management Consultants.

/Do we have to be especially talented or gifted for God to use us?

Does God require eloquent speakers?

Do we need to be highly qualified in leadership or administration?

Does the Lord have special requirements for His disciples?/

Yes He does!

But He doesn't use the same list we do.

Most directors would have rejected the disciples that Jesus Chose.

*/But God is interested in character not ability./*

Today I want to look at /Christ's Ministry Priorities./

We will look at two things, */Christ's Assessment & Christ's Appointment./*

/Firstly/  Christ's Assessment

 

*Mark 3:13* /And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.

And they came to Him./

Christ's Evaluation List

 

Christ was very careful in choosing His servants.

This is because the kingdom of God is just so important.

The Lord won't trust this vital task to just anyone.

Multitudes of people followed Christ during His earthly ministry, but only a few were really committed.

Many dropped off along the way when the going got tough.

Jesus carefully assessed His followers.

Because of this Jesus chose His servants very carefully.

*Luke 6:12-13* brings this out better.

/Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: /Jesus had spent a lot of time with these men already yet He prayed a great deal before choosing the twelve.

I would suggest that there are three main qualities that God looks for in His ministers.

They must be */Faithful,/ /Available & Teachable/.

FAT*

/ /

/a.

Faithful/

 

*/Firstly,/ *Christ is looking for */faithful/* people.

He is looking for people who believe in Him and will persevere to the end.

So many people drop out when it gets tough.

Christ knew this only too well.*

John 6:64-68* /But there are some of you who do not believe.

For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.

*From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.*

Then Jesus said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away?

But Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

/

 

Faithfulness

/ /

/Do you apply the same standards of faithfulness to your Christian activities that you apply to other areas of your life?

If your car starts once every three tries, is it reliable?

If your paper boy skips delivery every Monday and Thursday, is he trustworthy?

If you don't go to work once or twice a month are you a loyal employee?

If your refrigerator stops working for a day every now and then, do you say, Oh well it works most of the time?

If you miss a couple of loan payments every year, does the bank say, Ten out of twelve isn't bad?

If you attend  half the service's a month, and skip your quiet time once or twice a week should you still be called a faithful Christian?

If we expect faithfulness and reliability from things and other people, shouldn't God expect this from us?/

/ /

Jesus wants faithfulness.

He is looking for people that He can count on year after year.

Faithful people are the only ones He can use.

/How can God use people who don't turn up half the time?/

Paul told Timothy to pass God's Word on to faithful men.

*2 Timothy 2:2* /And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

/Many people willingly offer to serve the Lord.

They promise to serve Him in the Church but can't be relied on.

They pull out at the last minute.

Or they prepare their ministry in a mad rush just before the service.

They don't give God their best.

Others suggest that the Church start some new ministry or program and even volunteer their service, but then pull out.

Basically the problem with these folk is they lack faithfulness.

God is looking for faithful servants.

People who will keep their commitments to Him.

Servants who keep serving to the end.

Only faithfulness enables us to finish our race well.

As Usual With Wesley

 

A lady once asked John Wesley that suppose he were to know that he would die at 12:00 midnight tomorrow, how would he spend the intervening time.

His reply: “Why madam, just as I intend to spend it now.

I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening.

I would then go to Rev. Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, talk and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in Glory.”