Sunday, October 16, 2005
The Chosen
It is interesting that Jesus as a man did not try to disciple the multitudes. While He ministered to many, He truly only poured His time and energy into a few select followers. Jesus was aware of His mission and His limitations. At any one time, Jesus may have had hundreds or even thousands following Him and listening to His teachings. Large crowds gathered around Him to be healed, eat the free food or see what other controversial doctrine He would teach. And Jesus used interactions with the crowds as teachable moments for His closest disciples. But Jesus never allowed the will of the crowd or the allure of popularity to cloud His real objective.
Jesus did not start out with the twelve apostles at the beginning of His earthly ministry. Actually, He chose twelve men from among the multitudes that had chosen to follow His ministry. Jesus had personal experience with these men. He had seen them in action, especially men like Simon and Andrew. Jesus issued calls to many men and women to follow Him. But the call to be one of the twelve meant something very special. These men were to be the leadership base for the early Church.
Luke 6:12-13 indicates that intense prayer guided Jesus' decision about who He would choose as His select group of disciples. Jesus went away alone to seek the Father. He spent all night in prayer and then He chose twelve men to be His inner circle of disciples. He called them apostles, which means "one sent forth."
Matthew 10:2-4 (KJV)
2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
These men became were selected to do more than just study at the feet of Jesus. They were equipped and sent forth to "preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:2). Jesus dispatched them two-by-two to spread the message and bring life to others. He gave them power over demons and sickness. Notice what He did not give them. Jesus sent them out without a missionary budget or extra provisions. He instructed them to "take nothing for your journey." This command may seem odd to us today. But Jesus wanted to test their faith by making no elaborate preparations. He wanted them to learn how to be completely dependent on God.
Jesus gave them the only thing they needed to accomplish the purpose of their mission - His power and message. The apostles had more than just a potent message. They ministered directly to the needs of the people and set them free through the power of God.
The message alone they preached would have been enough to make people take notice. And when you combine that with the power of God, it is no wonder that even King Herod heard what they did (Luke 9:6-7). The masses of the day were under a repressive government ruled by a ruthless tyrant, King Herod. There were some in the ruling elite who had lots of money and power. But the majority of the people suffered under heavy taxation. The Roman government had crucified thousands and oppressed many Jews. As a people, the Jews were looking for a Messiah (savior) to usher in God's kingdom on earth. They wanted a ruler who would overthrow the Romans and create a fair and just society. The message about God's kingdom would have resounded in the heart of the average Jewish man on the street.
Looking at how Jesus selected the twelve, there are some important lessons for those in ministry today. With so many people in the Church, it can be hard to know who to target for intense one-on-one or small group discipleship. No one pastor or leader can get everyone in a group of any real size. At most, one man or women can only disciple a handful of people. You have to be selective.
Like Jesus, the selection process probably begins with getting to know people in a large group atmosphere. You watch how people react and what they do. You look for those with the right heart not necessarily the credentials or pedigree. You look for those who are willing. Jesus never chases after anyone trying to pressure or plead for them to follow Him. Jesus simply modeled out the best life possible and issued an invitation to come and see. People were attracted to the life and virtue that flowed out of Him. The message was new, and it touched something deep inside of them.
Jesus did not just rely on His experience to guide His selection process. He went away and spent time in prayer. And it wasn't just a 10 minute prayer either. He wrestled with the decision throughout the night as He sought the will of the Father. Prayer must be the key for emerging leaders to know who they should disciple. Spreading yourself too thin is a mistake that is easy to make without being careful about who consumes your time and energy.
Simon's name appears first, which seems to the pattern when the disciples are listed in the Gospels. By his very nature and aggressive personality, Simon became the official spokesman for the twelve. He seemed to be first to do many things and made lots of mistakes along the way.
Simon's life seemed to be a never ending series of calls by Jesus. Each time, the Master took Simon one step further into a life of faith. Many were called to forsake all and follow in the life of Christ. Of those who flocked to Jesus, only a few were chosen to be apostles directly disciples by Jesus.
Do you hear the call of the Master? Have you issued that call to anyone?
Jesus did not start out with the twelve apostles at the beginning of His earthly ministry. Actually, He chose twelve men from among the multitudes that had chosen to follow His ministry. Jesus had personal experience with these men. He had seen them in action, especially men like Simon and Andrew. Jesus issued calls to many men and women to follow Him. But the call to be one of the twelve meant something very special. These men were to be the leadership base for the early Church.
Luke 6:12-13 indicates that intense prayer guided Jesus' decision about who He would choose as His select group of disciples. Jesus went away alone to seek the Father. He spent all night in prayer and then He chose twelve men to be His inner circle of disciples. He called them apostles, which means "one sent forth."
Matthew 10:2-4 (KJV)
2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
These men became were selected to do more than just study at the feet of Jesus. They were equipped and sent forth to "preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" (Luke 9:2). Jesus dispatched them two-by-two to spread the message and bring life to others. He gave them power over demons and sickness. Notice what He did not give them. Jesus sent them out without a missionary budget or extra provisions. He instructed them to "take nothing for your journey." This command may seem odd to us today. But Jesus wanted to test their faith by making no elaborate preparations. He wanted them to learn how to be completely dependent on God.
Jesus gave them the only thing they needed to accomplish the purpose of their mission - His power and message. The apostles had more than just a potent message. They ministered directly to the needs of the people and set them free through the power of God.
The message alone they preached would have been enough to make people take notice. And when you combine that with the power of God, it is no wonder that even King Herod heard what they did (Luke 9:6-7). The masses of the day were under a repressive government ruled by a ruthless tyrant, King Herod. There were some in the ruling elite who had lots of money and power. But the majority of the people suffered under heavy taxation. The Roman government had crucified thousands and oppressed many Jews. As a people, the Jews were looking for a Messiah (savior) to usher in God's kingdom on earth. They wanted a ruler who would overthrow the Romans and create a fair and just society. The message about God's kingdom would have resounded in the heart of the average Jewish man on the street.
Looking at how Jesus selected the twelve, there are some important lessons for those in ministry today. With so many people in the Church, it can be hard to know who to target for intense one-on-one or small group discipleship. No one pastor or leader can get everyone in a group of any real size. At most, one man or women can only disciple a handful of people. You have to be selective.
Like Jesus, the selection process probably begins with getting to know people in a large group atmosphere. You watch how people react and what they do. You look for those with the right heart not necessarily the credentials or pedigree. You look for those who are willing. Jesus never chases after anyone trying to pressure or plead for them to follow Him. Jesus simply modeled out the best life possible and issued an invitation to come and see. People were attracted to the life and virtue that flowed out of Him. The message was new, and it touched something deep inside of them.
Jesus did not just rely on His experience to guide His selection process. He went away and spent time in prayer. And it wasn't just a 10 minute prayer either. He wrestled with the decision throughout the night as He sought the will of the Father. Prayer must be the key for emerging leaders to know who they should disciple. Spreading yourself too thin is a mistake that is easy to make without being careful about who consumes your time and energy.
Simon's name appears first, which seems to the pattern when the disciples are listed in the Gospels. By his very nature and aggressive personality, Simon became the official spokesman for the twelve. He seemed to be first to do many things and made lots of mistakes along the way.
Simon's life seemed to be a never ending series of calls by Jesus. Each time, the Master took Simon one step further into a life of faith. Many were called to forsake all and follow in the life of Christ. Of those who flocked to Jesus, only a few were chosen to be apostles directly disciples by Jesus.
Do you hear the call of the Master? Have you issued that call to anyone?
