Sermons

Matthew chapter 10 is Jesus’ War Room moment where he defines the Apostle’s Mission.

• There has never been a time in my lifetime where understanding clarity for the Christian mission is more important.
  • Last week I challenged you to join the mission and this week we will find out what the mission is.
    • Without a clear mission there will be no clear execution.
    • Going into battle without knowing your goals, objectives, and equipment to carry the mission will doom it to failure.

 

• This is the moment in Matthew’s Gospel where he brings us into the War Room with is select men to hear Jesus’ strategy for success.

You would be accurate to state that this mission is specific to the Apostles but inaccurate to say then this has nothing to do with my mission.

• Jesus’ mission is phase 1 of the broader mission that we are still very much called to carry out to completion.

 

• Understanding what these 12 men were initially called to do becomes the core principles we must act upon to remain true to our task at hand.

But you say, “These were the 12 Apostles, who am I compared to them?” 

I remember being at my parent’s church in VA Beach, VA. Talking with an associate pastor in his office, when he said in a hushed tone, “A couple of members of Seal Team 6 just walked by.” In plain cloths, I guess they looked just like everyone else. 

• To borrow a phrase, these were: “12 ordinary men called to do extraordinary things.”
  • Men who were clay vessels, not many mighty or noble, sinners, deniers, doubters, self-exalters, and even a betrayer.
    • What Jesus had to work with.
    • Who Jesus chose to work with.
    • Likewise, we are his chosen soldiers to complete the mission they began.

 

• “Jesus chose these men, not only for what they were, but also for what they were capable of becoming under His influence and in His power” [Barclay].

MacArthur quotes Quiet Talks on Service, S. D. Gordon which depicts an imaginary account of Jesus’ return to heaven after His ascension: 

As the angel Gabriel greets Jesus he asks, “Master, You died for the world, did You not?” to which the Lord replies, “Yes.” “You must have suffered much,” the angel says; and again Jesus answers, “Yes.” “Do they all know that you died for them?” Gabriel continues. “No. Only a few in Palestine know about it so far,” Jesus says. “Well, then, what is You plan for telling the rest of the world that You shed Your blood for them?” Jesus responds, “Well, I asked Peter and James and John and Andrew and a few others if they would make it the business of their lives to tell others. And then the ones that they tell cold tell others, and they in turn could tell still others, and finally it would reach the farthest corner of the earth and all would know the thrill and power of the gospel.” “But suppose Peter fails? And suppose after a while John just doesn’t tell anyone? And what if James and Andrew are ashamed of afraid? Then what?” Gabriel asks. “I have no other plans,” Jesus is said to have answered; “I am counting entirely on them.” 

• The point of this simple exchange is that there ever was truly only one plan and that is to go by the power of the Spirit and tell people we meet, about Jesus.
• And this plan was laid out in its entirety in Matthew 10. 42 verses, explaining everything, like a war manual.

– Calling the twelve (vv. 1-4)

– Commissioning the twelve (vv. 5-15)

– Cautioning the twelve (vv. 16-25)

– Comforting the twelve (vv. 26-33)

– Challenging the twelve (vv. 34-39)

– Confirming the twelve (vv. 40-42)

 

This brings us right back to Jesus’ calling the 12 Apostles. 

Six sections of Jesus’ war manual.

     1. Calling the twelve

First note these men were called by Christ.

• Matthew 4:18 recounts Jesus first calling Simon and Andrew and then James and John.
  • Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee saw two brothers, saying “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (v. 19).
    • They immediately left their nets and followed him.
    • Jesus saw two more James and John, both fishermen, also both brothers and he likewise “called them” (v. 21) and they too “Immediately…left the boat and their father and followed him” (v. 22).

These accounts are not the same as where Jesus is calling the twelve to be Apostles. Jesus initially called them to be his disciples which literally means learner.

• This is the call to believe; synonymous with becoming a follower of Jesus.
  • A Christian.
  • The call of salvation has been called irresistible and it is when Jesus calls to draw or to save someone (cf. Jn. 6:44).

 

• This, not be confused with the general call for the entire world to believe.

^ESV  Matthew 22:14 For many are ^acalled, but few are ^achosen.” (Mat 22:14 ESV)

• Call in this case has to do with being invited to believe which is distinguished from call in terms of a divine summons.

Still, in Matthew 10 you have another category for calling which is neither an invitation nor a summons but an appointment.

• These 12 men were being appointed by Christ to the office of Apostle.
• Not dissimilar to the call on a man’s life to become a pastor or elder.

^ESV  1 Timothy 3:1 The saying is ^atrustworthy: If anyone aspires to ^bthe office of overseer, he desires a noble task. (1Ti 3:1 ESV)

• For the office of elder or the call to full time ministry that person must have the combined qualifications of desire, spiritual character, and gifting to carry out this mission.

The New Testament later defined Apostalic qualifications as the need to replace Judas plays out along with the need to confirm Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.    

^ESV  Acts 1:21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during ^aall the time that the Lord Jesus ^bwent in and out among us,

^{22 a}beginning from the baptism of John until the day when ^bhe was taken up from us–one of these men must become with us ^ca witness to his resurrection.”

²³ And they put forward two, Joseph called ^aBarsabbas, who was also called ^bJustus, and ^cMatthias.

²⁴ And ^athey prayed and said, “You, Lord, ^bwho know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen

²⁵ to take the place in ^athis ministry and ^bapostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

²⁶ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

(Act 1:21-26 ESV)

 

^ESV  1 Corinthians 9:1 ^aAm I not free? ^bAm I not an apostle? ^cHave I not seen Jesus our Lord? ^dAre not you my workmanship in the Lord? (1Co 9:1 ESV)

 

They are here called “his twelve disciples” and in verse 2 called “the twelve apostles” (v. 2).

• Disciples are students or learners and the synonym is Apostle though this term is unique to the office.
  • “Apostle” means “sent one,” “envoy,” or “messenger.”
    • The point is that these are an extension of Jesus’ mission.
    • They are to represent Jesus as his proxy, in message, and in ministry.

 

• Announcing the King and kingdom and proving this is true through miracles.    

Jesus gave these men “authority over…” (v. 1) several things.

• I understand this authority or spiritual position came with the office.
  • What Jesus could give.
    • He “gave” this “authority” meaning is was his to give the nature of who Jesus is, being God.
    • “…over unclean spirits, to cast them out” meaning the demonic realm.
      • Demons are ceremonially unclean, immoral yes, but twisted in beliefs!
      • Like Jesus, an Apostle can deal immediately with a demon.
      • As Jesus’ proxy, an Apostle can instantly put a stop or redirect the demonic realm.

 

• Also, “…and to heal every disease and every affliction” (v. 2).

• The emphasis is the miracles mean the message is true.
• The message is saving, and you are saved from sin and eternal death and saved to heaven and eternal life.

Up to this point no one had performed miracles like Jesus did.

• Jesus was healing the masses.
  • Miracles are interventions on this world; windows of heaven on earth.
  • In our mission, we give the message that gives people heaven.
    • Where is there a demon-free, disease and affliction-free zone?
    • One place, heaven.

You say, “I am not gifted like an Apostle.”

• This is true, but you are gifted by the Holy Spirit.
  • Your authority is local to the Word of God.
  • Knowing and applying Scripture you have everything you need in all that life can throw at you.

 

• That is saying a lot considering today’s secular age.
• Find out where your gifts are by going to Scripture and then yielding yourself to God’s providence.

On to “The names of the twelve…”

The names are grouped a little differently from list to list, but they basically come in four groupings.

• You have the intimate three, who were accompanied Jesus at the healing of Jairus daughter, and Mt. Transfiguration.

 

• The next grouping, one concentric circle out, one more and finally the last group ending with Judas.
  • Still, Peter is always first and Judas Iscariot is always last.
  • Except for Philip, Bartholomew, and Thomas, each has a qualifier to let us know something important to the person.

 

• These men were known throughout their community and with their new title and powers, they were also mere men.

The Names of the 12 Apostles, form Jesus’ Role Call!

Beginning with Simon he is “first” and I do not take this as him being “first” to be converted or merely first on the list.

• Peter was “first” in terms of leadership.
  • His greatest strength was his greatest weakness.
  • He is known to have a foot shaped mouth but also known to put himself out there on behalf of the others.

 

• Peter said, “you are the Christ, the son of the living God” and was called “blessed” by Jesus.
  • Then in the next breath, Jesus called him “Satan” for Peter trying to intervene on Jesus going to the Cross.

 

• Peter spoke for the others, when everyone else left him.

^ESV  John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^athe words of eternal life, (Joh 6:68 ESV)

• Peter drew his sword to defend Jesus to the death.

^ESV  John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, ^ahaving a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant¹ and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) (Joh 18:10 ESV)

 

^ESV  Matthew 26:52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For ^aall who take the sword will perish by the sword. (Mat 26:52 ESV)

 

• Peter said, he would never deny Christ, then followed closely to Christ when he was captured, then denied Christ 3x, then was later restored by the risen Christ, and then preached Pentecost.

 

• Simon was renamed Peter as the rock, meaning his Spirit-illumined confession was the rock on which the church was built!

^ESV  Ephesians 2:19-20 So then you are no longer ^astrangers and aliens,¹ but you are ^bfellow citizens with the saints and ^cmembers of the household of God, ^{20 a}built on the foundation of the ^bapostles and prophets, ^cChrist Jesus himself being ^dthe cornerstone, (Eph 2:19-20 ESV)

• Peter who would see the vision of the unclean animals.
  • Told three times to kill and eat, go to what pictured.
  • Evangelized Cornelius and then later separated himself from table fellowship in Antioch while visiting Gentiles.
  • Then confronted to the face by Paul, for fear that he would split the church.

^ESV  Galatians 2:11-14 But ^awhen Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him ^bto his face, because he stood condemned.

¹² For before certain men came from James, ^ahe was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing ^bthe circumcision party.

¹³ And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

¹⁴ But when I saw that their ^aconduct was not in step with ^bthe truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ^cbefore them all, “If you, though a Jew, ^dlive like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:11-14 ESV)

 

• Peter would later write his two letters 1, 2 Peter admitting in humility to Paul’s letters being difficult at parts to understand.

^ESV  2 Peter 3:15-16 And count ^athe patience of our Lord as salvation, just as ^bour beloved brother Paul also wrote to you ^caccording to the wisdom given him,

¹⁶ as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. ^aThere are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, ^bas they do the other Scriptures. (2Pe 3:15-16 ESV)

 

Next you have Andrew who is in this first grouping, not because he had the same privilege as the three but because he was a blood-brother to Peter.

• What a great thing to be both physical and spiritual brothers together in the mission. Both Peter and Andrew were saved in the context, both dropped their nets and followed Jesus.

James the son of Zebedee.

• To be distinguished from James the half-brother of Jesus.
  • He who was converted after seeing Christ raised.
  • Who authored the epistle called “James”, who was a pillar in the early church.

 

• Also distinguished from the other Apostle, “James the son of Alphaeus” (v. 3).

 

• James mentioned first may mean he was older than John was the first martyr of the church under Herod Agrippa 1.

^ESV  Acts 12:1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

² He killed ^aJames the brother of John ^bwith the sword, (Act 12:1-2 ESV)

 

John his brother was called the one Jesus loved.

• He penned the Gospel of John and wrote the three letters, 1,2,3 John.
  • He was the one who had privilege to lean across Jesus’ chest at Passover and was given responsibility by the dying Christ to look after Jesus’ mother, Mary.
  • It was said, that John was a leader in the church of Ephesus which meant he would have supported Timothy who was given charge over that church (i.e. 1,2 Timothy).

 

• Finally, John was exiled on the island of Patmos.
  • Where he received the direct revelation from God to write the book of Revelation which is the key to the glorious picture of the exalted Christ and to knowing last things!

 

• James and John coupled together were the ones who were called the “sons of thunder.”

^ESV  Mark 3:17 ^aJames the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); (Mar 3:17 ESV)

• Raised in fishing business by father Zebedee, both bold and aggressive.

^ESV  Luke 9:51-56 When the days drew near for ^ahim to be taken up, ^bhe set his face ^cto go to Jerusalem. ⁵² And ^ahe sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of ^bthe Samaritans, to make preparations for him.

⁵³ But ^athe people did not receive him, because ^bhis face was set toward Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell ^afire to come down from heaven and consume them?”¹

⁵⁵ But he turned and rebuked them.¹

⁵⁶ And they went on to another village. (Luk 9:51-56 ESV)

 

• Maybe their aggressive nature was from having an aggressive mother.

 

^ESV  Matthew 20:20-23 ^abThen ^bthe mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and ^ckneeling before him she asked him for something.

²¹ And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine ^aare to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, ^bin your kingdom.”

²² Jesus answered, ^a“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ^bto drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”

²³ He said to them, ^a“You will drink ^bmy cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, ^cbut it is for those for whom it has been ^dprepared by my Father.” (Mat 20:20-23 ESV)

 

• In later life, John is said to have nurtured leaders like Polycarp and Ignatius.
• He had aspired by worldly ambition for royalty and now had overcome the world.

 

Now on to Philip.

 

• Like Peter and Andrew, Philip’s home was Bethsaida, northern Galilee, fishing town (Jn. 1:44).
  • All fishermen?
  • He too left John the Baptist to follow Jesus (cf. Jn. 6:5-7; 12:21-22; 14:8-14).

 

• He led Nathanael to Jesus (Jn. 1:43-46) and Philip and Bartholomew are always associated in the lists together.
  • In the lists he appears first of the second group of four.
  • Polycrates, a 2^nd century bishop, said Philip ministered in Roman province of Asia.
  • Buried in Hierapolis.

 

Bartholomew means “son of Tolmai.”

 

• First three gospels refer to him as Bartholomew, but John always as Nathanael, his first name?
  • Short account John 1:45-51 only place apostle mentioned in NT outside of listings of 12.
• Bartholomew came from Cana and was brought to the Lord by friend Philip.

 

^ESV  John 1:43-51 ^aThe next day Jesus decided ^bto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴ Now ^aPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵ Philip found ^aNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom ^bMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus ^cof Nazareth, ^dthe son of Joseph.”

⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, ^a“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, ^aan Israelite indeed, ^bin whom there is no deceit!”

⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, “How ^ado you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered him, ^a“Rabbi, ^byou are the Son of God! You are the ^cKing of Israel!”

⁵⁰ Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

⁵¹ And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,¹ you will see ^aheaven opened, and ^bthe angels of God ascending and descending on ^cthe Son of Man.” (Joh 1:43-51 ESV)

 

 

Thomas called Didymus (Jn. 11:16; 21:2).

• Aramaic means “Twin.”
  • Appears only in narratives of John (11:16; 14:5, 20:24-29).
  • Known for doubting but should also be known for his courage and his profonde confession.

^ESV  John 11:16 ^aSo Thomas, called the Twin,¹ said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, ^bthat we may die with him.” (Joh 11:16 ESV)

 

^ESV  John 20:26-28 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. ^aAlthough the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ^a“Peace be with you.”

²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, ^a“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

²⁸ Thomas answered him, ^a“My Lord and my God!” (Joh 20:26-28 ESV)

 

• Some trace his ministry to India as a missionary where he was martyred.

Matthew the tax collector.

• For the sake of time and the fact that we covered his testimony a few weeks ago from chapter 9, I will just make a comment.

“Why does Matthew still label himself, the tax collector?”

• There is a fine line between true and false humility.
  • I believe Matthew never wanted to forget where he came from, and this is instructive.
  • He lived for himself and now he was living for Jesus.

 

• Paul said the same thing of himself.

^ESV  1 Timothy 1:15 The saying is ^atrustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus ^bcame into the world to save sinners, ^cof whom I am the foremost. (1Ti 1:15 ESV)

James son of Alphaeus distinguished from James son of Zebedee. 

• Not the same as James the brother of Jesus.
  • We know nothing about him except that Matthew who is Levi is son to father Alphaeus (cf. Mk. 2:14) making Matthew and James also brothers.
  • Another pair of brothers in the 12.

 

• James would then be “James the younger” or “James the Less” (Mk 15:40) and his mother’s name was Mary (Mt. 27:56; Mk. 15:40; Jn. 19:25).

Thaddaeus, a name which could tie him as the youngest child.

• Also called Judas (no Iscariot) being the one who said this to Jesus:

^ESV  John 14:21-24 ^aWhoever has my commandments and ^bkeeps them, he it is who loves me. And ^che who loves me ^dwill be loved by my Father, and I will love him and ^emanifest myself to him.”

^{22 a}Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it ^bthat you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered him, ^a“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and ^bwe will come to him and ^cmake our home with him.

²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And ^athe word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. (Joh 14:21-24 ESV)

 

Wifi is going all the time but when your Wifi is down, nothing happens.

• Friend of mine trenching, hit something in the yard, to which his wife said, “Wifi is not working!”
• Henry David Thoreau: “It takes two people to speak the truth, the one who says it and the one who receives it.”

Simon the Zealot also designated as “Simon the Cananaean” the Aramaic form of Zealot.

• Zealots were nationalists, patriots. Josephus taught that Zealots were the 4^th party of the Jews.
  • Other 3 parties were Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes.
  • Zealots were patriots to the death as nationalists who bowed to no king, refused to give into any earthly man and would undergo pain being prepared to secretly murder or assassinate any to rid country of foreign rule.
    • Years later, the Zealots became the principal cause of the Jewish War.
    • “God is to be their ruler and Lord.”

 

[Barclay] “If Simon the Zealot had met Matthew anywhere else than in the company of Jesus, he would have stuck a dagger in him.”   “Men who hate each other can love each other if both love Jesus.”