Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• We are to look at how God called the 12 apostles
• We are thankful that Henry has been called to Tabor
• The call of the first Christian ministers to the Church of Jesus Christ
• Jesus setting apart 12 men
• A period of training
• A time of sending (at Pentecost)
• Jesus specifically calls us to pray for workers to be sent into the harvest field
• Jesus gives us a template for prayer - 'Our Father'
• We are not told many things to pray for specifically
• Except to raise up workers for the harvest field
• To pray for governments and authorities - to live quiet and peaceful lives (to disseminate the Gospel)
• Our desire is for God to raise up workers

Praying for Gospel Workers

• Jesus went out to pray all night - v12
• v11 - Jesus was facing mounting opposition
• The religious leaders were filled with rage
• They were beginning to plot against Him
• Jesus withdraws, goes to the mountain and seeks His Father's face in prayer
• This is a good pattern for us
• Seek God's face in prayer
• The connection between the following events (v12-13) is stronger than the preceding events (v11-12)
• Twelve whom He would train up and send out
• He was praying for these new workers
• He called them up onto the mountain
• We read the name of 12 apostles, including Judas Iscariot (the traitor)
• Why Judas the traitor?
• The stranger mysteries and the fulfillment of the purposes of God
• This should remind us that not all men in the ministry are saved
• What was Jesus praying?
• We are not told
• He surely prayed for them knowing that they would face persecution (cf v22-23)
• Praying for their usefulness and joy
• Praying for them and their spiritual lives
• Jesus always prayed
• Some specific times are detailed:
• His baptism, the Mount of Transfiguration, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Cross and before He chooses the 12 apostles
• He was praying all night
• The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing
• We need special seasons of prayer
• Gospel workers need our prayer
• We need to pray for one another
• We need to pray for those with responsibility or in leadership

The call to Gospel Work

• The calling of the 12 - symbolic:
• Replacing of the twelve tribes with the twelve apostles
• A new leadership
• Who are these people?
• Insignificant men
• Three sets of brothers
• Four fisherman, one tax collector, one zealot
• Six others who are relatively unknown
• Uneducated men - not chosen for their ability
• Not chosen for their godliness - but to glorify God
• That through these weak vessels - they would glorify God 
• Personal example, Moses, Jeremiah
• Whom God calls He also equips
• Example of the work in Moldova
• The Spirit of God distributes gifts amongst His Church
• It is the call of God
• The Church need to recognise God's call on individuals
• Not just the horizontal but the vertical
• 1 Tim 3 - elders and deacons
• Not everyone is called - there is a call from God

Training to Gospel Work

• Mark 3:14 - The twelve are called to spend time with Jesus to learn from Him
• They never asked Jesus to teach them to preach
• They did ask how to pray
• They saw Jesus' compassion on all people
• The power of example is more informative than reading all the books
• He does not turn away the multitudes after a night of prayer
• They learn from Jesus for 2 years
• A time of preparation and training
• Cf with Paul, Joshua
• Apostles - means "sent ones"
• Sent in Jesus name and authority
• Jesus told them they would bear much fruit
• God bypasses all the schools of theology
• God chooses the lowly of the world to glorify Him
• Examples
• God's grace will be sufficient for us

Closing Remarks