Common Christians - Luke 6:12-16

If you have a copy of God's word, you can meet me there, Luke chapter 9, though we will be going to Luke 6 pretty quick.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

So Luke chapter 9, beginning in verse 1.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

If you're new here, we are walking through the Gospel of Luke, and we have been so since December of this past year.

We'll get through it.

Hopefully, after two years, we're walking through the Gospel of Luke nice and slow together.

In the summers, we've taken a break this past summer.

We walked through a series looking at the person of the Holy Spirit.

Luke chapter 9.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

In Luke 9, the end of Luke 9, we see Jesus begin his journey toward Jerusalem.

And Luke, unique to the other gospels, includes a lot of details of what took place when Jesus headed toward Jerusalem.

In fact, Luke chapter 9, the end of it through Luke chapter 19 is the travel narrative that's not included in a lot of the other gospels.

Luke 9 · chapter mention Luke 19 · chapter mention

So Luke gives us a unique picture inspired by the Holy Spirit of what took place as Jesus walked toward Jerusalem.

But before he does that, Luke chapter 8 talked a lot about Jesus' authority, answering the question: who then is this who can calm the winds and the waves?

Luke 8 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 9 includes a lot of conversation between Jesus and his disciples.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

It also includes a commissioning where Jesus sends out his disciples with the same authority that they had seen in Luke chapter 8.

Luke 8 · chapter mention

If you look at Luke 9 in front of you, you see they argue together, the disciples, about who's the greatest.

They bring questions about other ministers in the area.

And as I've already mentioned, and we just read, they're sent out on mission for Jesus with power.

Well, since this chapter talks a lot about the disciples, I felt it important for us to actually go back to Luke chapter 6.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

And here's why.

In March, I was sick, and y'all prayed for me, and I ended up going to the doctor and figured some things out with my stomach.

And during that time I was traveling as well.

Well, we actually skipped a passage during that time.

I think we have a countdown on the screen.

We actually skipped a passage during uh that time, and it was Luke chapter 6, verses 12 through 16.

Luke 6:12–16

I think Calvin on the back is counting down my sermon.

I'm gonna have more than five minutes, all right?

So Luke chapter 6, verse 12 through 16.

Luke 6:12–16

All right.

That's where I want to go.

Luke chapter 6, 12 through 16.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

Uh, and here's why.

Because it's in that chapter and in those verses where we meet the disciples together.

This morning's message is titled Common Christians, and that's very intentional.

The 12 disciples were common men, both by their profession and by people's perception of them.

In fact, after the Lord Jesus ascends to the right hand of his Father, Peter and John go and proclaim the gospel, now empowered by God's Spirit, and they heal a lame man through the power of God's Spirit in Acts chapter three.

While they're put on trial in Acts chapter four for doing so and for continuing to proclaim that Jesus was in fact the Christ, and this Sanhedrin, the judge, jury, and executioner of the Jewish people, said of them that they were uneducated common men.

They were uneducated common men.

And yet, these are the men later called Christians, given the name Christians in Antioch, because they would be the ambassadors that Christ had called and chose to go out sharing the good news of the gospel of Christ.

But I do think we need to talk about these twelve men this morning and ask, why then?

Because if you were to assemble a group to say, storm the beaches of Normandy, or assemble a group to aim to cure world hunger, or um fight human trafficking, or assemble a group just to start a global brand, you would choose renowned experts in the field, right?

Who would you put on your core team?

The best of the best, the top, the most well-known, powerful, prestigious, popular.

But Jesus began a disciple-making global movement that by God's grace and his plan has survived plagues, has survived crusades, questions, dissension, division, and reformation, establishing long-lasting kingdom outposts all over the world, and he chose twelve unlikely men, common men.

Why?

Well, let's go back and meet these guys.

Luke chapter 6, verse 12 through 16 tells us that during the beginning of Jesus' ministry, Jesus, verse 12, went out to the mountain to pray.

Luke 6:12–16

And all night he continued in prayer to God.

And when day came, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles.

Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip and Bartholomew, and Matthew and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Simon, who was called the zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

This is the text we'll walk through this morning as we consider Luke 9 and go through Luke 9 next week as well.

Let's pray.

God, you know more than anyone in this room that I am a fallible man, and yet my task as your servant is to bring your infallible word.

Help me, I pray.

Lord, this morning, would you draw our hearts after you?

Stir our affections for you.

Lord, convict us of disobedience or sin.

Lord, encourage us what we may feel weak.

Lord, continue preparing us to be the pure representatives that you have called us to be.

In your name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Five points.

You have them on your notes in front of you.

The first is that Jesus prayed before he chose these disciples.

In our passage, Jesus is choosing individuals out of the larger group of disciples that had been following him up to this point.

Now, it's important to note that because sometimes when the New Testament talks about the disciples, it is referring to twelve individuals.

And sometimes when the New Testament uses the term disciples, it is referring to a larger group of disciples, adherents, followers of Jesus who were following him during the lifetime of the greatest, kind of largest part of his ministry.

Bible refers to the many following Jesus as disciples, just as it refers to the twelve.

So there are times when Jesus is speaking to his disciples, he's talking to the twelve, and sometimes he's speaking to his disciples where he's talking to 72 or more following after him, like in Luke 9, Luke 14.

Maybe you ask, why is that important?

It's important for language and for us to understand it.

Because while all the apostles were in the most general sense disciples, not all disciples were apostles.

An apostle was a particular position given by Jesus this day in Luke chapter 6 to 12 specific disciples.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

In fact, the term apostle comes from the Greek apostolos, and it meant described a person or a position of one who publicly represented, say, a king or a high government official.

It was a spokesperson or an ambassador of a person of authority.

And those apostles would carry with them the words of the person who sent them.

In fact, not only the words of the person who sent them, but would come representing the authority with the given authority that they had come to represent.

So when Jesus chooses the twelve apostles from among his disciples, he is doing something extremely significant.

In fact, Luke chapter 6 tells us that Jesus sat up all night and prayed.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

He didn't sleep.

Jesus was a man, and he would have been tired.

But this was an important decision.

This was not random.

Jesus' choice here was a sovereign choice of God for a particular purpose so that a particular truth of Christianity could be seen.

Namely, that God chooses unimpressive people and unites them by his grace so that all may see his glory.

In fact, that's what you're going to see this morning.

Jesus builds his church with unimpressive people so that all see his undeniable glory.

Like these guys?

Only God.

Only grace.

So that only he gets the glory.

Second, Jesus chose twelve men to form the foundation of his church.

Why did Jesus choose twelve?

Well, you've just come to know that, right?

There were twelve disciples, so he chose twelve.

But why didn't Jesus choose ten or fourteen or seven or four or forty?

Well, Jesus chose twelve on purpose.

I really want you to see this theologically.

In the Old Testament, and under the previous covenant, Israel was constituted around the twelve sons of Jacob who would become the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus doesn't just gather twelve students because twelve was a convenient number to disciple and teach and travel with.

In fact, there was often more, as we just talked about, who traveled with him.

He appoints, as they're called, the twelve as a recognizable group.

And just as old covenant Israel has been had been constituted around the twelve patriarchs, the new covenant people of God are being constituted around Jesus' twelve messianic representative.

In fact, Jesus later says this to his apostles.

Matthew chapter 19, truly I say to you, in the new world, as the new heavens and new earth, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 19 · chapter mention

Jesus is showing that Israel's story is reaching its fulfillment in him and in all who believe in him.

You see, Jesus would be what Israel failed to be: an obedient witness of God, the true son of God.

And through his leadership, the kingdom of God would no longer be largely bound to an ethnic people or a geographical location.

Jesus is the true Israel, the Son of God.

And the Bible points this out, and you should notice it.

In Exodus 4, 22, for example, Israel is called God's son.

At his baptism, Jesus is spoken of by God as his son, in whom he is well pleased.

Well, not so much longer in Exodus.

Israel passes through the waters of the Red Sea only to be tested for forty years and fail.

Well, Jesus passes through the waters of baptism and was tested in the wilderness for 40 days, and he remained faithful even in temptation.

Israel repeatedly failed to trust God and obey him.

Jesus remained faithful every day and every minute of his life.

Israel was constituted around twelve tribes.

Jesus constitutes his messianic community around twelve apostles.

So Jesus is, in a sense, recapitulating Israel's history, but succeeding in every place Israel failed.

Jesus is the fulfillment then and the focal point of the entire biblical storyline.

It was all pointing to him, the true and greater David, the true and greater Moses, the greater Adam.

So let me be clear.

The church then is not a parenthesis in God's plan with Israel, but rather the fulfillment of God's plan with Israel.

Through Jesus, the true Israel and the perfect Son of God, the Word of God is going global, and the kingdom of God is including all nations.

From a geographical location to now every continent, from Jerusalem and twelve disciples to now 2.68 billion people who profess faith in Christ.

The prophets themselves anticipated a future day when God would restore his people and establish a new covenant.

Jeremiah Ezekiel.

Jesus arrives announcing that kingdom, saying it's here.

He gathers twelve.

He institutes a new covenant in his blood, Luke 22.

He commissions, well he dies and rises.

He commissions his followers to make disciples of all nations, Matthew 28.

The Spirit then is poured out in Jerusalem at Pentecost, fulfilling Joel.

The gospel then goes out from Jerusalem and the Jewish people to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth as the call was at Acts 1 8.

Through the perfect Son of God, God has, according to Ephesians 2 15, created in himself one new man in place of the two one people who believe upon his son, built on the foundation of the apostles, these twelve representatives and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

Jesus is the true Son of God, in whom are all the new covenant members of God's family.

That's why John one of his apostles says if you don't know the Son, you don't have the Father, but if you receive the Son, you have the right to be a children, a child of God.

John one through thirteen These twelve men are Jesus' representatives forming the foundation of his church.

His people.

Number three, Jesus chose common men to carry out his mission.

I've talked about that a little bit I want to talk about it more.

Verse 13 in chapter 6 when day came Jesus called his disciples and he chose from them twelve whom he named apostles let me ask you a question.

Have you ever been picked last in anything?

Maybe uh growing up in uh dodgeball pickings where you had two representatives who were kind of like choosing who's going to be on their team felt like smalls from the sand lot who never got picked you ever been picked last you can come to expect it after countless times of being seen last among others.

However it seems like Jesus picked the last here when Jesus picked his band of disciples again his crew was compromised of common men Peter, Andrew, James and John and potentially Philip, Thomas and Nathaniel were fishermen.

And that profession does communicate more than you think.

Why do I say that?

Well school for Jewish boys began with a rabbi teaching students the Torah the first five books of the Bible at a very young age.

The students progressed and grew they begin to learn the prophets and the writings those that would continue to advance would start to memorize the prophets and the writings and then sometimes a rabbi would pick a few key students who just grew in their studies and kind of stood above the rest and those students would actually follow the rabbi he'd call them by name to come and follow after him and they would learn what it means to be a teacher like a rabbi.

Well if these men are fishing and that's their trade it means that they were in some sense not the top of the religious or theological crop not the cream of the crop.

They were common men.

They went back home to learn their family trade.

So if you want to start a worldwide global disciple making movement this just seems a little backwards.

Okay so maybe they weren't powerful or prestigious or popular but at least if you've got a few common men who would fight to the death for each other who have some sorts of sense of camaraderie then maybe maybe you still got a shot however at least at first these men would have seemed to have fought with one another more often than some of them would have fought together.

Yes sir sure some of them were brothers but a couple of the individuals like a zealot and a tax collector the zealot hates the tax collector he sees them as the cheating traitor whose job it was to work for Rome to make sure they would continue to be more powerful than the Jewish people and other neighboring nations by taking money.

And so here's what you gotta think Jesus what are you doing why choose them to be sent out to share the good news of what you have come to do.

And if you were to ask Jesus I don't think like again think I don't think he would talk about their potential or their strengths or how awesome they really were like everybody else didn't just see the hidden potential beneath the surface that just needed some encouragement.

I think Jesus would say they are weak they are unfit they are unqualified but I will use them and empower them so that I and I alone receive the glory due to my name again this is not a story of human greatness this is a story of God's grace.

This is a story where Jesus builds his church with unimpressive people for his undeniable grace.

In fact Jesus did say something like that referring to believers in the Corinthian church through the Apostle Paul 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 27 through 34 for consider your calling brothers not many of you are wise according to worldly standards not many of you are powerful not many of you are of noble birth but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong God chose what is low and despised in the world even the things that are not to bring to nothing the things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God so that, as it is written, let the one who boasts then boast in the Lord.

So when you look at who Jesus chooses to be his disciples he did not choose the elite he did not choose the powerful or the obvious he chose fishermen, a tax collector, a political zealot and that's not a mistake that's a stretch Why?

Well, when ordinary people do extraordinary things that don't make sense, no one says, look at them.

So that people instead would say, How?

Why?

And have no other answer other than look at him.

None of their resumes would have stuck out.

In fact, some of the resumes you probably would have thrown at him.

So let me ask you this this morning.

Why are you a follower of Jesus?

Is it because of your family, your church attendance, your religiosity, your desire to have some sort of answer to the question of why we're here, your goodness, your generosity, your potential, your power, your, your, your, your?

None of that's true.

If the answer to the question of why you're a follower of Jesus has anything to do with who you were, what you could do, what you had done, or what you would do, you are wrong.

You are not a follower of Jesus because of your anything.

In fact, if you're a follower of Jesus, it's not because of your resume.

It's despite it.

It's because Jesus called you.

It's because he called you.

John 6.44 tells us something unique that we are to see about God's mysterious sovereignty.

John 6.44 teaches that no one comes to the Father unless the Father draws him.

In other words, if you're a believer, you're a disciple of Jesus because through the gospel message, when you heard it, your eyes were open to the goodness of the grace of the gospel and who died for you.

Your eyes were open, your ears like God unplugged, and you saw Jesus for who he is, not just a carpenter, but as the Christ.

God called you despite your sin and chose you despite where you were and what you had done.

Why?

Because you're great?

No, because he's great, and because in his choosing of you, he will receive the glory.

Because he's gracious.

Because he will be glorified.

Looking at the disciples once more in the list that we have, Jesus united opposite people in one purpose.

Number four, he united opposite people in one purpose.

I know we're taking the text and looking at a few names here and kind of spreading out to see, which is unique, but I think it's intentional.

I think it's important.

Simon, who's called Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alpheus, Simon the zealot, Judas, and Judas Iscariot.

While some of the apostles knew one another, like brothers, others were political rivals.

Matthew or Levi, the tax collector, and Simon the zealot.

Some were most likely wealthy, the tax collector again, and others were most likely poor, the fishermen.

Different personalities, different backgrounds, different perspectives, different socioeconomic means.

But I don't know that you get it yet.

Let's talk about Matthew and Simon, the two I've already hinted at.

Simon was most likely a zealous religious insurrectionist.

He, along with other friends, because they were called zealots, were probably a part of the zealot category, which were people who were ready to overthrow the Roman government at whatever cost.

Simon was willing to become violent for power and freedom.

Matthew, on the other hand, was a tax collector.

He was working for Rome, making sure Simon and others paid under threat of Rome's army, all to keep them wealthy and in power.

Simon was willing to become violent for power and freedom.

Matthew was becoming willing to become immoral for money and safety.

One worked for Rome.

One wanted to kill Rome.

And Jesus put them on the same team.

Now here's the thing.

Jesus didn't identify with either of those categories.

And after three years with him, they wouldn't either.

Imagine picking a random group of people, some this, some that, some this, some that.

I'm sure there were fights, bickering, arguments, and sometimes even awkwardness.

And yet, though they were initially divided, all were sent out by him, and all but the one who sold him out were heavily persecuted for the very same reason.

Except for Judas, every disciple was either exiled or killed for being a bold witness of the one who called them to follow after him.

The one who chose them, the one who saved them, the one who taught them, walked with them, and ultimately united them in his blood.

Because of Jesus, his disciples were no longer strangers before God, but saints of God.

Because of Jesus, his disciples were no longer enemies of one another, but friends with one another.

Because of Jesus, his disciples were no longer divided by their profession, but united in their one confession.

Jesus is the Lord.

I want you to take a step back for a moment and consider who sits next to you or in this room, or in rooms all across the face of the earth, churches, local gatherings of believers.

Consider the different personalities, backgrounds, socioeconomic means, past sins.

Consider how unique it is that a former drug dealer may sit next to an active policeman with hands up high worshiping the same Lord Jesus Christ.

How?

How could this be?

How could they be united?

How could we be united?

How could you live, love, and lead next to one another?

People of no name and people with a great name.

People with a bad past and people with a seemingly spotless past.

People with means and people with none.

Let me give you the answer from 2 Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.

Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away.

Behold, the new has come.

All this from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Our relationship, then, with Christ, because of his substituting himself in our place, taking upon himself the punishment for sin and inviting us into his family.

Our relationship with Christ and with his church, those who have also placed their faith and trust in Christ, should far outweigh any commitment we have or any identity we hold on to.

We are Christians.

It's the most important identifier that we hold on to.

Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, sons and daughters of the Most High.

We have been welcomed into the family of God.

And so as we have been forgiven, we forgive.

As we have been loved, we love.

As we have been shown grace, we show grace.

As we've been taught, we teach, as we've been cared for, we care.

No matter our background, no matter our race, means, popularity, strengths, weaknesses, looks, status, we were all in desperate need for the grace of God in the depths of our sin.

And that's where God met us all.

Saved us, sanctified us, made us his possession, adopted us into his family, and gathered us in his church, from rebellious to self-righteous, from former drug dealer to law enforcement, from one young to old, from former prostitutes to addicts to hypocrites, all brought together, all joined together, and all growing together because of the invitation of Jesus the Christ.

Would you come and follow me?

These twelve represent that.

And they do.

And it wasn't because they were extraordinary, nor do they become extraordinary by measure of their power, prestige, or popularity.

They were killed for what they did.

Following Jesus led them to persecution, not prosperity.

If popular, just because they had a warrant for their arrest.

But these once ordinarily divided had become extraordinarily united and solely devoted to one thing: making the name of Jesus known across the ends of the earth.

And they died for it.

They had become extraordinary in that at the beginning they probably wanted to kill one another, divided in their uncommon profession, yet at the end were killed, united in the one confession.

Jesus is Lord.

And the Bible tells us the church is built upon the foundation of and devoted to the teaching of the apostles, were called to exemplify their faith.

United in the grace of Christ despite many differences, devoted to the gospel of Christ even at the cost of their life, and sent out on mission for Christ so that all may know and hear the name of Jesus.

Jesus began a global disciple making movement that has survived plagues, wars, survived crusades, division, dissension, has survived questions, establishing kingdom outposts all over the world.

And he chose twelve unlikely leaders, twelve common men.

Common men, like you and like me, who through the power of Christ in us, and not by our own ingenuity or strategy, turn the world upside down.

Acts chapter 17, verse 6.

Acts 17:6

You know, I believe that God desires us to fulfill the Great Commission and has empowered us with his spirit to do just that.

I believe he has chosen us so that no one would ever think it's our ingenuity, our prominence, or our charisma.

I believe God intends for us to be strong, resilient, and courageous with the gospel taking it to the ends of the earth.

I believe these twelve men are good examples of that.

And I believe that because Jesus chose twelve common men to carry out his mission 2,000 years ago, and now 2.68 billion people across every nation profess across every continent profess faith in Christ.

And I believe if Jesus can unite zealots and tax collectors and use fishermen, he can use you and he can use me.

And I'm going to, with my unimpressive self, continue carrying the torch of the light of Christ, where I go, with who I meet, so that all will see and hear the good news of Jesus.

The question is, will you continue to go with me?

The best calling any unimpressive person can have is to be called an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You get to represent him where you go.

So do so in your school, do so around your coworkers, do so wherever the Lord has placed you.

It's not a surprise where you're at, it's not a surprise who your family is.

Your calling is to evangelize and share so that all may know Jesus Christ has come for sinners.

Let's pray.