The Dirty Dozen-Part 2: Mark 3:13-19
Notes
Transcript
Handout
(Please note that much of what is included in this mornings message was taken from John MacArthurs’ terrific book: “Twelve Ordinary Men” published by Thomas Nelson)
As we begin this morning, I want you to turn to the Gospel of Mark 3:13-19 and have it ready for our Scripture reading, which we will do a little later.
Last Sunday morning in our journey through the Gospel according to Mark, we not only looked at this same passage, but we also spent some time in Luke 6:12-16 and watched as Jesus put such an emphasis on seeking and doing the will of God the Father, that he spent an entire night in prayer before His selection of the 12 Apostles. He emphasized for us The Importance of Prayer, especially before the big decisions of life. However, as we continue to watch Jesus through the pages of Scripture, we find out that He didn’t reserve serious time of prayer only for the big decisions, this was His habit at all times. It needs to be ours as well.
Moving forward we saw The Importance of Solitude , as Jesus got away from the crowds and anything that could be a distraction and went to a place of solitude for His time of prayer and fellowship with the Father. Beyond the solitude, Jesus understood The Importance of Time so He also spent a considerable amount of time in prayer. A quick 5 minute prayer was not something Jesus desired. In the Calling of the 12, we learned that Jesus wasn’t looking for volunteers, His call was specific, He called “those whom He desired”. He then gave those 12 both present, but also future assignments. They became qualified for those assignments based on the work He accomplished in their lives during their time with Him. That is the case for us as well, the more we spend time with Him, the more He then transforms us, which opens up the door for Him to accomplish His will in and through our fully surrendered lives. We closed out our time by learning that Jesus choice of 12 men was not arbitrary or accidental. In choosing 12 men, none of whom came out of the religious establishment, none of whom were religious leaders and who were largely uneducated from a theological standpoint, God was rejecting the religious leaders in Jerusalem as well as the entire religious establishment, it was like He was starting fresh with men He knew would be void of pride in themselves as spiritual leaders, and completely dependent on God to move through them. That is exactly what He is looking for today as well. Men and women, and quite frankly, boys and girls, who are willing, available, ready and dependent on God to move through them.
As we continue this morning, that theme will become even clearer as we get a closer look at the men whom Jesus chose to be His disciples.
Will you please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word? Next Slide
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach
15 and have authority to cast out demons.
16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);
18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Word, Please be seated.
Jesus ministry was anything but conventional, from day one He turned His back to the religious practices of the day because the religious leaders of the day had placed the traditions of man, traditions they had helped establish, over the very Word of God. While He was enormously popular in much of Galilee, rather than use His popularity as a springboard to launch His ministry, He instead chose to use these 12 unknown, and largely uneducated men to launch what has turned out to be the most succesful movement in the history of mankind. When you think about it that way, I don’t see any reasonable way you can look at what Jesus accomplished through these men, as anything less than the very work of God. Keep in mind that on the night Jesus was betrayed, every single one of them ran for cover. When He needed them the most, they all ran, despite the fact that earlier that very evening, they all, not just Peter, they all said they would die rather than deny Him!
Matthew 26:35
Next Slide
35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
And yet here we are today, almost 2,000 years later about 6,212 miles from the place Jesus set up His base of ministry, still being impacted by their efforts. As we move forward this morning, we should all understand that what took place was not the result of the 12 men chosen in Mark 3:13-19, but but the result in the God Who empowered them and what He accomplished in them, He can duplicate in us, if we will just surrender fully to Him.
The rest of our time this morning we will do a quick look through each of the 12. To start with, let’s take a moment to look at the most notorious. Next Slide
Peter-The Apostle With The Foot-shaped Mouth.
There are 4 complete lists of the Apostles in the New Testament, although the list in Acts does not include Judas Iscariot because by the time it was recorded, he was already dead, and in each of the lists Peter is listed first. Peter became the unquestioned leader of the group. Peter was eager, aggressive and bold and had a habit of running his mouth before putting his brain into gear! This seemed to get him in trouble on a regular basis. That is why he is given the title “The Apostle with the Foot-shaped Mouth”!
One of the many things I find so appealing about Jesus is that when His eyes fall on the believer, they are not fixated on our present state, instead He has the ability to look into the future at what we can become if we only yield our lives to Him. As we go through the list of disciples, you will see that Jesus changed a few names along the way. Of course we also saw this on several occasions in the Old Testament. When God changes a name, it indicates that something new has happened or will happen to that person—a new relationship, a new character quality, or a new phase of life. That is what we see with Simon Peter. The best we can tell Jesus very first words to Simon are recorded in John 1:42. Let’s look at that encounter. Next Slide
John 1:42
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Moving forward in the Gospels, we see Jesus using Simon on some occasions and Peter on other occasions. Interestingly enough, the times He called him Simon were the times where his behavior was more inlined with his old self than his new self. We get the impression that each time Jesus called him Simon, He was delivering a message. “Simon, when I called you that day by the Sea of Galilee, I changed your name for a reason, you are to put the past behind you and live according to your new name.”
By the way, we find out in the Book of Revelation that whoever trusts in Jesus for forgiveness of sins, the One who is the “Name above all names,” receives a new name—“Christian”—and also a new life, a new purpose, and a new destiny.
Look at what Jesus promised to all who believe in Him: Next Slide
Revelation 2:17; 3:12
I will give him . . . a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it. . . . (Revelation 2:17)
For now, we believers don’t know what our new name is, but chances are it has to do with the new character quality and/or new direction Jesus has called us to display or go. Perhaps He hasn’t let us in on what that new name is for a reason?! My challenge to you is, imagine what it could be, and let your imagination run wild. Then seek to live out that name.
We move from Peter to His brother: Next Slide
Andrew-The Apostle of Small Things.
Of the 4 Apostles who were closest to Jesus (Peter, John, James & Andrew), Andrew often times appears to be on the outside looking in, yet there are a few occasions that he was a featured part of Jesus inner circle. We find out in
John 1:35-40
that he was the very first one called.
There is no question that he had a particularly close relationship with Christ, because he was so often the means by which other people were personally introduced to the Master... he was responsible for introducing his more dominant brother, Peter, to Christ (vv. 41-42). His eagerness to follow Christ, combined with his zeal for introducing others to Him, fairly typifies Andrew's character... Almost everything Scripture tells us about Andrew shows that he had the right heart for effective ministry in the background. He did not seek to be the center of attention. He did not seem to resent those who labored in the limelight. He was evidently pleased to do what he could with the gifts and calling God had bestowed on him, and he allowed the others to do likewise. Of all the disciples in the inner circle, Andrew appears the least contentious and the most thoughtful. As we know already, Peter tended to be impetuous, to rush ahead foolishly, and to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. He was often brash, clumsy, hasty, and impulsive. James and John were nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" because of their reckless tendencies. They were also evidently the ones who provoked many of the arguments about who was the greatest. But there's never a hint of that with Andrew. Whenever he speaks—which is rare in Scripture—he always says the right thing, not the wrong thing. Whenever he acts apart from the other disciples, he does what is right. Scripture never attaches any dishonor to Andrews actions when it mentions him by name.(MacArthur, John F.. Twelve Ordinary Men (p. 61). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.)
Additionally, Andrew SAW THE VALUE OF INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE When it came to dealing with people, for example, Andrew fully appreciated the value of a single soul. He was known for bringing individuals, not crowds, to Jesus. Almost every time we see him in the Gospel accounts, he is bringing someone to Jesus. Remember that his first act after discovering Christ was to go and get Peter. That incident set the tone for Andrew's style of ministry. At the feeding of the five thousand, for example, it was Andrew who brought the boy with the loaves and fishes to Christ. All the other disciples were at a loss to know how to obtain food for the multitude. It was Andrew who took the young boy to Jesus and said, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish" (John 6:9). And these instances were not isolated, this is who Andrew was and how he operated.
One thing I have observed over the years is that the most effective and important aspects of evangelism usually take place on an individual, personal level. Most people do not come to Christ as an immediate response to a sermon they hear in a crowded setting. They come to Christ because of the influence of an individual. (MacArthur, John F.. Twelve Ordinary Men (p. 68). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.)
Scripture is clear that all those who put their faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, are given at least one Spiritual Gift and that gift or gifts are to be used as a way of ministry. For the vast majority of us, that ministry will be far more like that of Andrew than Peter, James or John. In other words, we will operate very much in the background, not receiving much, if any limelight. Additionally, Jesus charges all of us to live a life of personal evangelism. That is what we seen in Andrew. Andrew is a great example for all of us to follow.
The next on our list is: Next Slide
James-The Apostle Of Passion.
OF THE THREE DISCIPLES IN JESUS ' CLOSEST INNER CIRCLE, James is the least familiar to us. The biblical account is practically devoid of any explicit details about his life and character. He never appears as a stand-alone character in the Gospel accounts, but he is always paired with his younger and better-known brother, John. The only time he is mentioned by himself is in the book of Acts, where his martyrdom is recorded. (MacArthur, John F.. Twelve Ordinary Men (p. 77). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition)
But we learned this morning as we read Scripture that he and his brother John were known as “The Sons of Thunder”. While Simon Peter was given the name Peter as a challenge to him to live a changed life, the life of a spiritual rock, most believe that in naming Jams and John “The Sons of Thunder”, Jesus was challenging these 2 to do the opposite. The historical perspective of James gives evidence that he was a man of great passion. One such instance takes place in Luke 9:51-56. In this Biblical account, Jesus and His disciples are heading to Jerusalem for one last Passover observance. He knew His death was quickly approaching. On this occasion, they were pressed for time and the quickest way to Jerusalem was through Samaria. Because of an intense hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans, Jews rarely went through Samaria, but because they had little time left, they went against the norm. They had a pretty large group with them so Jesus sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for food and lodging for the night. But the Samaritan’s, knowing they were going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, turned them away. When James and John heard about this, we read; Next Slide
Luke 9:54
54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
Of course they both felt their anger was righteous and they were in fact following the example of Elijah, another passionate man if God, from 2 Kings. In this Biblical account, Ahaziah, the King of Judah had been seriously injured in a fall. He sent a group of men to contact soothsayers to find out if he would recover. This was strictly prohibited by God so God alerted Elijah to interrupt the journey of these messengers and let them know that Ahaziah would not recover, but that he would die. When Ahaziah discovered that the message came from Elijah, Elijah who was the constant thorn in the side of his father & mother, Ahab and Jezebel, he sent a small army of 50 men to bring Elijah back to him. Chances are he was going to have Elijah put to death in his presence. When they found Elijah, he was sitting atop a hill watching them as they approached. When the captain spoke to Elijah, he said “Man of God, Come down!” Elijah, knowing what they were up to replied; “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.' And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty” Ahaziah, being a slow learner sent a second group of 50, guess what happened! Then he sent a 3rd group, only this time the captain approached him humbly. Elijah went with him and soon Elijah’s prophecy about Ahaziah’s death came true.
All of that had taken place in the very region through which Jesus was traveling with His disciples. The story of Elijah's fiery triumph was well known to the disciples. It was one of the classic Old Testament episodes they would have been reminded of merely by traveling through that district. So when James and John suggested fire from heaven as a fitting response to the Samaritans' inhospitality, they probably thought they were standing on solid precedent. After all, Elijah was not condemned for his actions. On the contrary, at that time and under those circumstances, it was the appropriate response from Elijah. But it was not a proper response for James and John. In the first place, their motives were wrong. A tone of arrogance is evident in the way they asked the question: "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" Of course, they did not have the power to call down fire from heaven. Christ was the only one in their company who had such power. If that were an appropriate response, He could well have done it Himself. James and John were brazenly suggesting that He should give them power to call down fire.
Of course, such instant destruction would be fitting every time anyone sinned, if that were how God chose to deal with us. But, thankfully, it ordinarily is not. "His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 145:9). He is "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6). He has "no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live" (Ezekiel 33:11).
(MacArthur, John F.. Twelve Ordinary Men (pp. 86-87). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.)
If we had more time, there are other instances in the Gospels that give us a picture of the passion of James. The truth is, passion can be good or bad, depending on the heart behind it. What James saw in Jesus was an example that loving-kindness and mercy are virtues to be cultivated as much as (and sometimes more than) righteous indignation and fiery zeal. That Godly passion always stems from a heart of love.
We would do well to learn this lesson also. I would venture to say that if the passion that today’s believer displays on social media platforms came from a heart of love for God and others, we’d see a lot less fire in our posts.
With that, we will close this mornings message. We have learned some valuable lessons from the 3 disciples we looked at this morning.
From Peter we learned that God looks at each of us and is not fixated on where we are currently, but on what we can become if we simply yield ourselves completely to Him. Like He did with Peter, God has the incredible ability to transform us!
In Andrew, we learned that God can accomplish great things through our simple acts of obedience to Him and our faithfulness in giving people the opportunity to be with Jesus.
And in James we learned that God wants to take our passion and fill it with His love, that it might be directed by Him and accomplish His will.
There is much more to learn from this motley crew that Jesus chose in Mark 3:13-19, and I look forward to the important lessons we will learn together.
Let’s close our time this morning in prayer.