Tabor Baptist Church

• Twelve every day ordinary men, who became heroes
• The church was founded on their teaching
• Some where martyred
• Jesus chose the 12, it was a sovereign choice
• Chose them to preach, to heal, to cast out demons, to be ambassadors

Call

• They were already disciples, followers of Jesus
• Called to be an apostle
• Not just another ministry, but a higher office, a different authority
• Some where to write doctrine
• Jesus chose
• A private choice
• A sovereign choice - nothing in the men that Jesus saw or recognised
• An important choice - Jesus spent all night in prayer (Luke 6:6-13)
• A significant choice - 12 sons/tribes of Israel for the Old Covenant and now 12 Apostles for the New Covenant, the new Israel (cf Rev 21:12-14)

Communion

• Called to be with Christ before being sent out
• Three years with The Lord Jesus
• To go on missions, to go in groups of two
• Fellowship and communion with Jesus
• We must spend time with the living God

Commission

• To preach, to have power to heal sickness and cast out demons
• Preaching:
• All the people were flocking to Jesus but He still chose 12 apostles to preach
• He was looking ahead to a time when he would no longer be around
• He chose frail men who would make mistakes
• God is still calling people to preach the gospel
• We are co-workers with Christ
• Preaching always needs to be at the forefront (this was their first calling)
• Heal sickness and cast out demons:
• Jesus Himself left the multitudes who were seeking miracles to preach
• Good will heal the world so there will be no more hurting or crying

Characters

• Simon:
• Strong minded person, hot headed at times, opposed Jesus once
• A fisherman, probably no formal teaching
• Had such strong trust and faith in Jesus, but then
• Confessed Jesus was the Christ but then rebuked Him not to suffer or go to Jerusalem
• I'd never deny you but did just that
• Changing from one character to another
• A flawed man, but he loved The Lord
• Was to become 'Peter' the rock on which the church was built
• Jesus chose Simon to be the principal of twelve
• James and John:
• Described 'sons of thunder'
• They were to become very loving
• John:
• John would be the
  apostle who reclined on Jesus' breast
• Wrote John's gospel and 1-3 John which all emphasise love
• They were moulded by God
• James - Became the first Christian martyr
• Andrew:
• Separated from Simon as the first three were to have a special intimacy with Jesus
• Was happy to be part of the 12
• Facilitator - facilitates his own brother, in the feeding of the 5000, introduced the Greeks to Jesus
• May not be upfront but helping and putting people in touch
• Philip:
• Slow of heart
• Bartholomew, James, Thaddeus:
• Little known about them
• Bartholomew - thought to be also called Nathaniel (many apostles often had two names)
• Content to serve humbly
• Matthew and Simon (the Canaantie)
• Matthew: called Levi a tax collector
• Simon: a zealot, hated the Romans, hated tax collectors
• These two were brought together
• The Gospel has the power to change lives
• Judas:
• Betrayed Jesus
• The mystery of God's providence - Jesus knew he would betray Him
• Sent out with the others
• Very hard heart, selfish, concerned just with himself
• A different set of people

What plan does God have for your life?
Is Christ the one who you are following?
Christ calls to you this morning