The Disciples of Jesus

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One thing that struck me on my recent travels to visit some disciples of Jesus who are also either our mission partners or our friends was their dependence on God. From Feng in the relative affluence of Shanghai to Mwendwa and Joyce, the school and the church in needy rural Kenya, to the courageous mission team working in the absolute poverty of Western Saharan Africa to the mission to the blind in India, led by a poor blind man but a man who could truly see and who had the rich treasure of knowing Christ. They prayed in faith to God before and after almost everything. They put me to shame. And what's the first thing we notice in our passage this morning? It's my first point from v12&13

1. Jesus appointed his first apostles after much prayer

What do you do when you're facing pressure and opposition? What do you do when you have important decisions to make? Jesus here in Luke 6 is facing all that and more. Mark's Gospel tells us that from this time the Pharisees began to plot Jesus' death. The cross is in view. He's also about to make the momentous choice of the twelve apostles, most of whom would become the very first ministers of his church. What does Jesus do? Does he phone a friend? Does he ask the audience – the crowds who are following him around? No! He went out to a mountainside to pray. And not just for a moment. No he spent the night praying to God the Father, his Father. V12-13:

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles…

This was about the very existence and future of Christianity and the church.

Jesus knew he had to pray to his Father. He wanted to do his Father's will for the glory of God and for the sake of you and me. Now I'm not saying that our pressures and decisions are exactly the same as Jesus'. Though we too need to take the privilege of prayer very seriously for the future of the church in this nation and its leadership, as the crisis at St Paul's Cathedral has again shown and for the future of this nation as our political leaders begin to redefine marriage and the family and as greed still seems to be good in the eyes of some. You see Jesus' praying on this occasion was also intended to be a perpetual lesson to us, Christ's church. Do we really desire to help forward the cause of the gospel in the world? Then let us never forget to pray for gospel preachers, for church leaders – please!

Neither am I saying that we always need to go out to a mountainside to pray and to pray all night. We can at times pray short arrow prayers as Nehemiah did. Paul says we're to pray continually in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. But if Jesus needed to pray for longer periods at regular intervals then surely so do we. Our praying should be daily as the Lord's Prayer teaches us. And sometimes like Jesus we'll need to take a longer time alone with God to pray. If there's an appointment to the church staff to be made much prayer is needed. If leaders in ministry areas are being chosen much prayer is needed. Much prayer is needed for the right make up of those mission teams going out from JPC next summer. Two teams, we pray, will be going to Nokuphila School, a Christian school I had the privilege of visiting on sabbatical in the very deprived township of Tembisa near Johannesburg in South Africa. It's run under the overall leadership of Martin Morrison, who'll be preaching here in 3 weeks time. The school's aim is to grow servant leaders who will help to change Tembisa for Christ. It's our mission giving project for November and you have an envelope. So pray for the school and its need for more land to expand, pray about what you can give towards the cost of a new classroom and the most enthusiastic teacher training I've ever witnessed and pray for those mission teams. Is God calling you to go? Will you be part of the answer to those prayers? Jesus says we're to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field (Mt 9:37).

You may also have important decisions to make at work or at home this week, then take time to pray. God's Word says, "We do not have what or who ever is needed because we do not ask God" (James 4:2). So can I challenge you all to make the most of the opportunity of the JPC Day of Prayer on Wednesday 16 November. Take time to pray to God on your own here in church and with others. Those of you who are working perhaps with major decisions to make come to pray before you go to work from 7am. We can't do what the Lord is calling us to do on our own. Jesus said apart from me you can do nothing.
So out of a larger group of disciples, who had responded to his teaching, Jesus
chose twelve apostles after much prayer. Who did he choose? The leading academics? The rich and powerful? The leading religious officials of his day? No. In fact the religious leaders were out to kill him. Although later after his resurrection and ascension Jesus did choose Paul, a leading Pharisee, who had
been giving the orders to kill Christians. No here he chooses (v14-16):

14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew [also known as Nathaniel], 15 Matthew [also known as Levi], Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James [also known as Thaddaeus], and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Who were they? Four certainly were fishermen. At least one was a hated tax collector. Most were from Galilee and Galileans were often treated with contempt by the rest of the country. One was a Zealot – an extreme Jewish nationalist. Not one was a Pharisee or priest or ruler or elder. Not one had been to the theological college of the day. Yet they were to get the best three years training possible – on the job with the best teacher ever – Jesus himself. Apparently all were unschooled ordinary men. According to Acts 4:13:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Do you feel inadequate, so much so that you don't think God can use you? Not in mission and certainly not on a mission trip. Do you feel that you're not academic enough or gifted enough? Well the first apostles Jesus chose were unschooled ordinary men who grew in faith and courage. And Jesus wants to use you if you're trusting in him.

Now we can't ignore the fact that the Twelve were called to be apostles by Jesus in person and that they were all male. No one is called today to be an apostle with a capital A and we're not all called to the same roles. But the word apostle in the original means sent out. The first apostles were sent out with a special commission by Jesus. But the Great Commission makes it clear that we're all sent out on mission under Christ to make disciples of all nations with no doubt different gifts and different parts to play in the power of the Spirit. And the choosing of the first apostles also teaches us one further vital truth. Christ's church is not built on might or by power but by the Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). It furnishes us with unanswerable proof of the divine origin of the Christian faith. A faith which turned the world upside down with such men as its first preachers must have come from heaven. With a teaching most unpalatable to the natural human heart a few lowly Galileans shook the world and began to change the face of the Roman Empire. Only one thing can account for this. The Gospel of Christ, which those men courageously proclaimed, was and is God's truth. Now secondly we also learn that

2. One of the chosen apostles became a traitor v16

…and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor

Now Jesus knew what he was doing in choosing Judas Iscariot. He knows our hearts. He knew Judas' heart. Jesus saw from the beginning that Judas would one day betray him. So why, you ask, did Jesus appoint him to be an apostle?

Well that question has perplexed many. But like everything the Lord Jesus did, it was done deliberately and with great wisdom. You see, apart from Judas' part in fulfilling God's plan, in the crucifixion of Jesus, it also teaches us today some very important lessons.

First it teaches church leaders to be humble. As JC Ryle reminds us let the Christian leader who thinks he stands take heed in case he falls. We are to watch our life and our doctrine closely (1 Timothy 4:16).

Jesus' choice of Judas is also meant to remind us that we won't find a perfectly pure church membership this side of heaven. Now we are all sinners so if you're still looking for the perfect church please don't join it but the point here is that the wheat and the tares will be found side by side in the church until Jesus comes again. Truly converted and unconverted folks will be found mixed together in all congregations. Truly repentant people who are forgiven through faith in Christ will be found together with unrepentant unforgiven people in all churches. A Judas was found even among the first apostles!

Others might not realise it but which are you? Truly converted or truly unconverted. A genuine disciple of Jesus – trusting and following him or are you just pretending? Jesus knows our hearts. We can't fool him. If you're not yet a believer or if you've been fooling everyone else why not turn to Jesus this morning, humble yourself before him and ask for forgiveness and a fresh start and become a genuine disciple of Jesus.

One twelfth of the first apostles was a traitor. Perhaps one twelfth of us here this morning are in a similar situation. Judas' chief problem appears to have been materialism. He was to have his hand in the money bag he carried for the disciples as they followed Jesus many times. His heart was set on the things of this world and not on things above. His treasure was not in heaven but on earth. And he betrayed Jesus, God the Son – the one with the power and authority over evil and to do amazing healing and teaching (v18-20), for just thirty paltry pieces of silver. Where is your heart? Which brings us to thirdly

3. Two kinds of people v20-26

Jesus now goes on to teach about two kinds of people and firstly about the characteristics of a genuine disciple, of someone who is trusting in and on mission with him, of those whom Jesus calls blessed.

Blessed are you…

20 Looking at his disciples,[not just the Twelve but other disciples too]he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

The list of characteristics of those who are blessed or truly happy is both remarkable and startling. But we must be careful not to misunderstand Jesus. Yes God has compassion for the genuine poor and so should we. For those in this city. In Western Saharan Africa it's the poor who are most receptive to the gospel. And if you want to know more about the poverty and plight of South Sudan and Christian work there then go and see the powerful new movie Machine Gun Preacher – it'll get you fuming in more ways than one but it'll also break your heart. But the mere fact of being poor, hungry, sorrowful and hated doesn't mean you're blessed by Christ or a disciple of his. No the poverty spoken of here is a poverty accompanied by grace. The afflictions are those that come with following Christ and spreading the gospel. I think of those I met in Africa and India who'd suffered for their faith in Christ in ways we can't imagine and was deeply humbled. Not just because of that but because of their rejoicing in the way of v23. With the freedom we have are you and I really following Jesus in the way we should in response to his command and rescue?

Woe to you…v24

The second kind of people are those who are not disciples, whether false or otherwise. They appear to be happy and even blessed in the world's eyes. They have what the world can offer. They have plenty of material goods and a surfeit of food. The latest gadgets quickly replace the old. The regular restaurant meals and even curry nights happen without a thought and without a real care for the needy. Yet they enjoy a good reputation in and with the world. And they are happy in all of that. So they think there's no need for them to cry out to God in prayer. They think they have more than enough. It's a description of many in the western world and not just bankers. But it's not food or satisfaction that will last. And Jesus issues stark warnings to such people. Indeed these are strong and cutting words. But (v24)

24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

You see the time will come, says Jesus, when such people will have nothing but woe in hell. Is that you? If so please wake up to the truth of Jesus' words before it's too late and instead trust him with your life and with your death and follow him. Or maybe it's true of our friends and relatives. Well keep on praying for them but also be inviting them to the Women's Slice of Something Nice at a local café, the Gospel Choir weekend, the Curry Night, Advent Carols & Carols by Candlelight. You've been called to be on mission for Jesus whatever the cost whether at home or abroad.

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