What’s good for the twelve is good for me. (wk. 3)

Good morning, CHURCH!

Welcome to FFM where we love God and love people.

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles.

Let’s Pray

Lord, help us to see you as new and fresh through your word today?

Lord, help us to see truth where we have believed lies?

Lord, speak to us through your word today.

Most of all, help us to love you and others more.

Let’s go to the book of Acts 4:8-13 NIV for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.

This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination

Acts 4:8-13 NIV

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

We’ve been in a series talking about what happens to ordinary people when they spend quality time with Jesus.

This is an account of Peter and John after they were arrested and detained one day because they were putting into action what they had learned from Jesus.

They had rolled up on a man who was lame from birth.

Acts 3:6 NIV

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

And after this they took him by the hand and lifted him up and as they did this, strength came to his feet and ankles.

And if that wasn’t enough, they started preaching to all the people that saw what happened.

And because they were preaching about Jesus they were detained overnight but about five thousand people came over to team Jesus because of what they had seen and heard.

Ordinary people do extra-ordinary things when powered by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s continue with the series:

What’s good for the twelve is good for me.

We’re focusing on the original disciples and how each one of them was changed because of his association and time spent with Jesus.

And then there is a responsibility for carrying out Christ’s movement throughout the earth.

And finally, they were everyday ordinary people with no supernatural ability other than willingness to learn from the master.

Some of the things we’re looking to see in this series.

-It doesn’t matter who you are when you come to Jesus.

What matters is that you spend enough time w/him and that you allow that time w/him to transform your life.

-Once timid personalities can become a bold outspoken witnesses of Jesus’ redeeming grace.

-The mission is not about becoming rich and famous, but about Christ redeeming mankind.

-Hopefully you are connecting the dots of their lives to yours.

Hopefully you see that your association, and your time spent with Jesus should produce similar fruit.

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What are our expectations:

1. As we study the word of God we grow as disciples.

2. As disciples we follow Christ whole-heartedly.

3. We to out into the world to make other disciples.

Today’s message title is:

John, Thomas, & Nathanael

Once again remember it was the testimony of these former faithless, ruthless, and fearful men that led to us believing today.

And here’s the big question?

Who will believe tomorrow because of your testimon?

#1

John

If you remember from last week, John is the brother of James (Younger brother), and they were called “sons of thunder” by Jesus.

They were the ones who threatened to call down fire from heaven on those who insulted them.

In his early years John was quick to judge and was set on revenge against anyone who was against him.

How many of you can identify with that pre-Jesus trait in John?

Don’t raise your hand but how many of you still struggle with this trait?

In Matthew chapter 20, we will also see John answer Jesus with a touch of pride or certainly self-confidence.

Matthew 20:20-22 NIV

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

21 “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

Jesus is asking if they are prepared to suffer as deeply as He is about to: when He will be tortured, sacrificed, and killed on the cross in Jerusalem.

John and his brother answer, too quickly, that they can drink Jesus' cup of suffering

But after John had spent time learning under the teachings of Jesus, the Bible paints a dramatic difference in him.

In his later years John was called the apostle of love.

In his New Testament writings John used the word love at least eighty times.

He penned the best-known verse in the Bible.

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

A once ordinary fella like you and me spent time with Jesus and then was used to pen the scripture that most define’s the love of God.

John also penned Jesus’ new command to “Love one another.”

John 13:34-35 NIV

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

A command that Christians today still suffer with at times.

And here is one that is tough to swallow for some people.

1 John 4:8 NIV

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

As believers, we are commanded to love one another.

Question? Why is that so difficult to do?

And don’t answer that question based on how far you’ve come from the way you used to be.

Answer based on how we should be.

Let’s look at Thomas.

#2

Thomas

Thomas had a scientific mind.

Those of us who live in the modern world are conditioned to think that way too; by our education and culture.

Thomas was just wired that way.

He was more skeptical than most people.

More demanding of proof.

Before he accepted the word of others, he wanted to see for himself.

That’s why he has been called “doubting Thomas” all these centuries.

He could believe—but only after all the facts were in.

Remember the account in John chapter 20.

John 20:24-27 NIV

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

But one thing I will say about Thomas is that once he saw it for himself, he did believe.

John 20:28-29 NIV

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

That blessing by Jesus should be on your life.

-But are you still a doubter incognito?

-Are you mostly trusting or mostly skeptical of what you hear or read about God?

If you are not sure check out the way you normally respond to information about Him.

#3

Nathanael

Nathanael was from Cana in Galilee.

His name in Hebrew meant “God has given.”

He is only mentioned as Nathanael in the gospel of John.

The other three gospels identify him as Bartholomew.

Here is another disciple that came to follow Jesus because of his friend reaching out to him. (Philip)

We see that is a constant theme in those that end up following Christ.

You must be willing to tell others to come and follow him with you.

John 1:43-45 NIV

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

And from Nathanael’s respond we can tell he was initially skeptical of whether Jesus was the Messiah.

John 1:46 NIV

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? “Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

This skepticism was understandable.

At that time Nazareth was an obscure little hill town, remote and of no consequence.

It was not sophisticated or glamorous.

It was quite the opposite.

It was not a place that Nathanael expected the Messiah to come from.

How often do you run across people who are skeptical of the truth about Jesus or the Bible?

But all it took was an experience with Jesus to win Nathanael over.

John 1:47-48 NIV

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

Jesus had a word of knowledge about Nathanael and what he was thinking about while he was resting under a fig tree.

And it was enough to convince him that Jesus was the Messiah.

John 1:49 NIV

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

So, we see that Nathanael’s experience with Christ caused him to believe.

Question?

Has your experience with Christ caused you to believe?

If you’re watching online or here in the building, I have a very important question to ask you.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now?