Called (to work with others, serving our community)

Our Memory Verse

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

we all have a gift SAY I HAVE A GIFT

We are all called to use our Gift SAY I WILL USE MY GIFT

we just need to find our gift. If you don't know your gift or how you can serve our community here a GCC, Get with me after serve today I would love to give you the next few steps

Today in our series we are taking a closer look at who Jesus chose to work closely with and what he called them to do. It is the same to each of us who chose to follow him, we are called to the same work today.

Matthew 10:1–15 (ESV)

1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out,

Matthew goes out of this way to give the name of the 12 disciples while the other gospels does not go in to this much details.

Matthew shows us a little in to the world of Jesus to help us understand who he picked and who we worked with and who he sent out.

Understanding the full situation helps us know what is really going on. I am reminded of this stroy

A father and daughter were riding in a crowded elevator. Suddenly a woman in front of them turned around and slapped the father’s face.

The elevator stopped, and the woman immediately stormed off as she looked back with a venomous look.

The father was obviously shaken and confused. He looked down at his daughter and asked, “What’s her problem?”

The little girl answered, “She’s just a mean lady who likes to hurt people, Daddy. I didn’t like her either. She kept stepping on my toes until I pinched her bottom as hard as I could. That’s when she started picking on you.”

NOW THE FATHER UNDERSTANDS

I want to take a moment to help US understand the full situation of the 12 disciples and how it can teach us to deal with the people we are ment to work with.

We have Philip Bartholomew James son of alphaeus and Thaddeus

We do not know much about these disciples before christ.

We know that Philip and Bartholomew were crucified together and Philip preached a message while he was on the cross and it convicted the people so much that they took Bartholomew off the cross, Philip refused to be saved

Thaddaeus, went by many different names one being Jude or Judas which he would have changed so now to be confused with Judas Iscariot.

James Son of Alphaeus, was also little James or the lesser James

Peter Andrew James and John

Fishermen called to leave everything they have and put their whole life in to the Work that Jesus had for them

Not very educated or skilled off a boat

Bad reputation (peter more than the others.)

Peter would end up denying Jesus, and then set to give the first sermon of the Christian Church Movement

Thomas

will always be known as doubting Thomas, though after seeing proof of Jesus coming back, took the resurrection to his death.

The last three I want to particularly focus on.

Matthew the Tax collector and Simon the zealot

Matthew was a Jewish man, made a living collecting taxes for the Roman empire.

Many tax collectors would always take more then what they were suposed to do and keep the difference ( not saying Matthew did, but also not saying he didn’t)

Many Jews HATED The tax collector.

Simon was a Zealot, this doesn't just mean he was passionate

a Zealot was someone that was trained to be a assassin to Romans and traitors

Simon would have likley tried to kill Matthew in any other situation

Judas Iscariot

focused more on money than ministry

Betrayed Jesus

And Jesus chose them to be set apart to be apostles. These same kinds of people we work with today.

some we dont know much about

some are not very educated and rough around the edges

some will fight and fuss and make problems

some will go behind your back and betray you

STILL WE are called to work TOGETHER for the kingdom.

WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE With AND LOVE ONE Another.

OVERVIEW

These people should not be working together. They should be fighting, fussing, and some even should have killed the other. YET Jesus brought them together. WHY?

Was it to live in dis function NO

It was to show that When our hearts and mind are on God, there is nothing that can come between us.

Division comes only when someones heart is moved from God and put on to their self or others.

Our work, our faith can not be about us, it has to only be about God.

A church focused on God will grow, a Church focused on self will die. That I promise you.

These 12 men put aside the past

these men put aside their tranings

These men Put 100% of them in to following Jesus

WHAT PERCENTEGE OF YOU ARE YOU GIVEN TO GOD????

Ill let you think on that for a sec......

We know we are called to work together, What is the Job ?

instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.

Go to the Lost Sheep

serve their needs

proclaim the Gospel

Jesus not only tells us the job we are called to do but also how we are to do it.

You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

Us serving is not about our benefit

God is not something we sell but something we share freely

Jesus tells us to go with what we have, go and serve.

God has already given you what you need (Believe IT)

God will take care of you (Believe it)

God will give you what you need (Believe it)

Bring Peace on all who bless you and move on from those who do not bless you. ( Chose to DO it)

Jesus tells us how to deal with the hard situation, people who hurt you or being who refuse to listen.

14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

When not if people refuse you or just wont listen

Don‘t let it bother you

shake the dust off,

The great theologian Taylor Swift said it in her song SHAKE IT OFF

Don’t let is sit with you, get up and keep moving

God will take care of it.

The bible tells us that God will do what he need to do

If he needs to bring someone else he will

if he need to convict them he will

if he needs to bring correction to them he will

Vingence is mine says the lord

People will Hurt you

PEople will talk about you (Mostly Negitive)

people was curse you

but it is not up to you to meet their actions,

They will have to answer to a higher power.

So WE are called to serve with one another, no matter who they are, and we are called to serve our community the best we can. how can we do that?

Feed the Hungry

Help the homeless

Clothe the Cold

Pray for needy and sick

Share the Gospel To The Lost....

We have many opportunities to do these very things here at GCC God is just waiting on you to take the fist step.

Maybe today you are in one of those caragories and you need help We want to help you we want to serve you

maybe you are the lost, you are here and you don't know what it means to be a christian. you don't know the gospel

The Gospel is just this

We are all sinners that have fallen from God, Our sins have brought death in to our life. God loved us so much that he sent his son to die on a cross for the sin of the whole world, and being us all forgiveness of the things we have done wrong. In return all God say is needed to receive this forgiveness is believe in Jesus and what he did and we will be saved, we will be connected back to God. He will help us through this life as we walk with him.

Today you may have walked away from God,,, or maybe never gave him a shot but today something is different and you feel that you need to get your life right before God. Today is our day to serve you in introducing you to a God that loves you and wants you to accept this free gift of salvation.