Luke 6:13-16
Jesus Picked
Last week, we started a message called The Lord Called, but only to
the first point, Jesus Prayed \\#12\\. Tonight, we want to look at
the second point, Jesus Picked \\#13-16\\; and next week, we will
start looking at the third point, Jesus Preached \\#17-49\\.
However, it is important that we understand that all three of these
points are connected. Jesus spend the night in fellowship with the
Father, enjoying that fellowship which has been theirs for eternity
past. The next morning, Jesus selected twelve men to be His apostles.
These men were moving from being the sheep to becoming shepherds in
God’s service and kingdom, the very same thing that He desires to
happen to every one of us. And then God will preach to them, helping
them to develop the attitudes and expectation which are necessary to
be servants to God.
Tonight, let’s consider Jesus’ second action.
II. \\#13-17\\ Jesus Picked.
A. Jesus had a following for some time.
1. \\#John 2:37\\ recorded the first disciples, probably
Andrew and John, starting to follow Jesus soon after His
baptism.
2. Luke recorded that in the time since then, the crowds had
become great \\#Luke 4:14, 37, 5:1, 19\\.
3. And out of this great host, Jesus chose the Twelve.
B. One would think that those 12 must have been something.
After all, Jesus would only use the best, right? Not so.
1. The Twelve as a whole was not much.
a. The Twelve had to pool their resources to have a
common fund for expenses, which would indicate that
there was not a wealthy man among them.
\\#John 12:6\\
b. Peter and John will be called "unlearned and
ignorant" \\#Acts 4:13\\ which would indicate that
most if not all of the Twelve lacked a high level of
education. Peter and John are the only two Apostles
that we know wrote any epistles that God preserved
for the church. (Matthew also wrote a gospel) It is
interesting that the main writer of our New
Testament was Paul, not one of the original Twelve
disciples at all.
c. The Twelve were a quarrelsome group often having
squabbles about who would be the greatest
\\#Luke 9:46, 22:24\\.
d. The fact that all fled and forsook Jesus does not
speak too highly of their courage levels either.
2. But they did not stand out as individuals either.
a(1) Simon also called Peter is the best known Apostle.
(1) Peter was at least a 2nd generation fisherman.
(2) He was brash, bold, a bit brainless, speaking
first and thinking afterwards.
(3) On the night of the crucifixion, Peter denied
Jesus three times.
(4) After the resurrection, he seemed slow in
getting back into the ministry and required
Jesus meeting with him alone on at least two
occasions. \\#1Cor 15:6, John 21:15\\.
b(2) \\#Luke 6:16\\ Judas, the traitor.
(1) There is actually more information about Judas
than another other disciple except Peter—most
of it bad.
(2) He betrayed Jesus.
(3) John also called him a thief \\#John 12:6\\.
(4) It seems obvious that he struggled with greed
and covetousness.
(5) Jesus called him a devil \\#John 6:70\\ and the
"son of perdition" \\#John 17:12\\. That would
indicate that Judas was never a believer in
Jesus Christ—not because God decided that for
Judas but because Judas decided it for himself.
c(3) John would be the third most popular Apostle.
(1) He wrote 5 books of the New Testament and lived
to be the last Apostle.
(2) We refer to him as the loving disciple of Jesus
but he did not start that way.
(a) He and his brother James were called the
"sons of thunder" \\#Mark 3:17\\.
(b) These two wanted to call fire down from
heaven to destroy a Samaritan village for
not receiving Jesus \\#Lu 9:54\\.
(c) It was John who wanted to forbid others
from casting out demons because he was not
one of the Twelve \\#Mark 9:38\\
d(4) James
(1) James was John’s brother, probably the older
brother.
(2) There is not one single reference to James in
the gospels where John is not mentioned as well.
(3) The only words recorded of James speaking were
of James and John speaking together.
(a) Once they asked to destroy a Samaritan
village \\#Luke 9:54\\.
(b) Once they asked that one would sit on the
right and the other on the left sides of
Jesus in the Kingdom \\#Mark 10:37\\.
(4) James was the first Apostle to die for Jesus
\\#Acts 12:2\\.
(5) James was the last member of the inner group of
Apostles. Peter, James, and John seemed to be
afforded several opportunities to be alone with
Jesus.
e(5) Philip
(1) Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city as
Andrew and Peter \\#John 1:44\\.
(2) He is usually mentioned alongside of Nathaniel
and some think the two were brothers.
(3) Philip was the fourth disciple that Jesus called
\\#John 1:43\\. (Andrew, John, Peter, Philip)
(4) Philip is seen in two accounts as bringing people
to Jesus.
(a) He brought Nathaniel to Jesus
\\#John 1:45\\.
(b) He brought Greeks to Jesus who were
searching for Him at a feast in Jerusalem
\\#John 12:20\\.
(5) Philip also answered Jesus at the feeding of the
5,000 \\#John 6:9\\
(6) It was Philip wanted to see the Father
\\#John 14:8\\.
(7) Those five times are all that Philip appears
individually in the Bible but that is more than
all the other disciples except Peter.
(8) Of all the disciples, his hearts appears to have
been one of the purest of the disciples.
f(6) Nathaniel who we think was also called Bartholomew
(1) Philip’s companion, maybe brother.
(2) Nathaniel is mentioned as being of Cana
\\#John 21:2\\.
(3) Two conversations are recorded of Nathaniel as
an individual.
(a) He response to Philip when told that he had
met the Messiah and He was from Nazareth.
John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there
any good thing come out of Nazareth?
(b) And his response to Jesus when Jesus mocked
Nathaniel for being pure.
John 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence
knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto
him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi,
thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of
Israel.
(4) I am glad for Nathaniel’s sake that the only
words he spoke in Scripture was not him smarting
off about Jesus.
g(7) Thomas-Often called "Thomas, the Doubter,"
although I think "Thomas, the Pessimist" might be
more appropriate.
(1) He was also called Didymus \\#John 11:16\\.
(2) Thomas spoke three times in the Bible and all
three times he seemed to be pessimistic.
a. \\#John 11:16\\ He encouraged the other
disciples to follow Jesus where he expected
they would all die.
b. \\#John 14:5\\ He wondered how the disciples
would be able to follow Jesus if they did
not know where Jesus was going.
c. \\#John 20:25\\ He refused to believe that
Jesus was resurrected unless he could put
his hands into the nail prints on His hands
and touch where the spear pierced His side.
(3) Thomas was a no show for the first Sunday night
worship service and missed seeing the first
appearance of the risen Lord to all the
disciples.
h(8) Matthew (also called Levi)
(1) Matthew was a tax collector.
(2) He wrote the one of the gospel accounts.
(3) \\#Luke 5:27-29\\ recorded Jesus calling him and
the feast Matthew held to introduce his friends
to Jesus.
(4) Even so, individually, not one miracle or word
is ever recorded about Matthew.
(5) Matthew, like seven other disciples, was never
individually mentioned again after the book of
Acts began.
i(9) Andrew
(1) Andrew was Peter’s brother and was the first
disciple called to Jesus by name \\#John 1:40\\.
(2) Andrew went to get his brother, Peter, and
brought Peter to Christ \\#John 1:41\\, making
Peter the third disciple.
(3) Andrew also had a part in bringing the Greeks
who were searching for Jesus to Him. He found
them before Philip and brought them to Philip
who then brought them to Christ.
\\#John 12:22\\
j(10,11,12) James the son of Alphaeus, Simon Zelotes, and
another Judas also called Thaddaeus are never
mentioned individually as saying or doing anything at
all. We have nothing they wrote and they are not
mentioned except as part of the Twelve.
3. The Bottom line is that these men were not spiritual
giants. They were people just like you and me.
C. There are three truths Christians need to know about the
people God uses.
1. God does not use a person because he/she has talent,
ability, charm, education, skills, wit, charisma, money,
or influence.
1Cor 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the
things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and
things which are not, to bring to nought things
that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
a. This is God stating that in His own Word.
b. The calling of the disciples was not about the
greatness of people Jesus called, but about the
greatness of God to use the low quality of people
that He calls.
c. Normal people—wrinkles and all—are who God desires to
use.
2. What God seeks is the person with the perfect heart.
2Chron 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and
fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself
strong in the behalf of them whose heart is
perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done
foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt
have wars.
a. A perfect heart is not a sinless heart. It is a heart
that seeks God with all of His heart.
b. Another way to say that is that God uses the people
who love Him with all of their hearts.
3. God has already devised the basic of service for every
Christian. He has outlined it in His Word.
a. It is preaching, proclaiming and teaching.
b. Jesus and His death are the message.
1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to
them that perish foolishness; but unto us which
are saved it is the power of God.
c. The Holy Spirit is the means of receiving God’s power
and abilities.
d. Prayer and obedience are our means of inviting God to
use us.
e. Every Christian has standing orders to be used of God
in this very fashion.
Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and
in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
f. If God wants to use you in some other aspect, He will
override His standing orders through the leading of
the Holy Spirit.
This message has three points, Jesus Prayed; Jesus Picked; Jesus
Preached. Understanding what Jesus preached will help the unfit and
incapable deal with the process of being used of God.
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