Tabor Baptist Church

Bible Text: Luke 6:12-19 | Preacher: Andrew Love | Series: Luke’s Gospel | 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