Missionaries – The 12 Apostles

Sermon Outine:

A strategy (vs 13-14)

A calling (vs 14-15)

A listing (vs 16-19)

Sermon Content:

Ill:

• British sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein was once visited in his studio;

• By the eminent author and fellow Briton, George Bernard Shaw.

• The visitor noticed a huge block of stone standing in one corner;

• And asked what it was for.

• Sir Jacob Epstein replied: “I don’t know yet. I’m still making plans.”

• Shaw was astounded.

• “You mean you plan your work. Why, I change my mind several times a day!”

• “That’s all very well with a four-ounce manuscript,” replied the sculptor,

• “But not with a four-ton block.”

Quote

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"

The Bible makes it clear that God is a planner:

• The Bible teaches that he had a plan for his world:

• Before he was ever the creator, he was the redeemer!

• Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4-5: tells us that you and I as believers were:

• “Chosen before the foundation of the world!”

• God had a plan for his world;

• And while he was in the world Jesus had a plan concerning his ministry.

(1). A strategy (vs 13-14):

• As you read the gospels you soon notice that there is a strategy in what happens;

• Jesus did not just wonder from place to place;

• He had targets, goals, aims – we would say a strategy!

• Jesus had a plan for his ministry:

• i.e. He worked to a timescale; we often read those words “My time has not yet come”.

• i.e. Another example of that plan is seen in verse 13;

• Where Jesus would choose for himself twelve disciples.

• i.e. Another example of that strategy is seen in our reading today:

• A new phase of Jesus’ ministry is under way:

• It begins with the calling of the 12 disciples,

• And ends with them being sent out on their mission (chapter 6 verses 6-13)

Note:

• We have seen in our studies of Mark’s gospel over the last few weeks;

• That Jesus was rejected by the religious establishments of his day,

• Not once did Jesus ever break any of God’s laws;

• But he constantly, at times deliberately broke the man made rules of the religious leaders.

• When the synagogue and the towns were being closed to him;

• By the religious establishment;

• He decided to take his message away from them & their influence;

• And outside into the open-air.

• Verse 7: “Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him”

Ill:

• A similar thing happened in our own country seventeen hundred years later;

• By John Wesley (one of the founder of the Methodists Church);

• Wesley was being persecuted by clergymen and magistrates;

• Because he and his followers preached the gospel;

• Without being ordained or licensed by the Anglican Church.

• This was seen as a social threat that disregarded institutions.

• Ministers attacked them in sermons and in print,

• On a regular occurrence mobs attacked them physically.

• But Wesley had a plan, a strategy;

• If Churches were closed to him he would preach in the open-air.

Ill:

A page from John Wesley’s Diary reads as follows:

• Sunday morning, May 5, preached in St. Ann’s,

• Was asked not to come back anymore.

• Sunday p.m., May 5, preached at St. John’s,

• Deacons said, "Get out and stay out."

• Sunday a.m., May 12, preached at St. Jude’s,

• Can’t go back there either.

• Sunday p.m., May 12, preached at St. George’s,

• Kicked out again.

• Sunday a.m., May 19, preached at St. somebody else’s,

• Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.

• Sunday p.m., May 19,

• Preached on the street, kicked off the street.

• Sunday a.m., May 26, Preached in meadow:

• Chased out of meadow as a bull was turned loose during the services.

• Sunday a.m., June 2, preached out at the edge of town,

• Kicked off the highway.

• Sunday p.m., June 2, afternoon service,

• Preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to hear me.

• What happened to Wesley the servant;

• Happened seventeen hundred years earlier to Jesus the master!

Verse 6 tells us that the religious establishment had rejected Jesus:

• Not only that they had planned to kill him:

• “They plotted with the Herodian’s how they might kill him”.

• Normally Jews would have nothing at all to do with the Herodian’s;

• They despised them.

• ill: This coming together with the Herodian’s is like;

• The FAR-right British National Party joining with the Unite Against Fascism Party.