Common People
Notes
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Dad teaching me to drive a semi, the culture of being a driver
From being young and the boss’ son, to proving myself as an individual.
We all strive for that in some form or another. We strive for greatness and recognition and accomplishment. We strive to be known by men and to be admired by the world. We spend our lives trying to reach a level of success that is unattainable, because the moment we get there, we realize that there is more to want.
I made alot of mistakes as a young man, a young husband, a young father. I allowed the things that I was chasing and the the standards which I set for myself and the standards that others set for me to cause me to neglect the reason I pursued them in the first place, my family.
If we aren’t careful and keep our standards in check, they end up overshadowing the reason they were setup to begin with.
This is who we are, this is where we are, this is what we have, what are we going to do with it right now? We don’t have to wait until we reach some self appointed level of status in order to do great things.
God uses common people to do uncommon things
God uses common people to do uncommon things
13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
Jesus went up from where they were and called them to come to Him, and they came.
Jesus went up from where they were and called them to come to Him, and they came. When Jesus calls us, we must come up from where we are. He brings us up from our sin, from our failure, from our past, from our fear, from ourselves so that we can be with Him.
When Jesus calls us, we must come up from where we are. He brings us up from our sin, from our failure, from our past, from our fear, from ourselves so that we can be with Him.
Acclamation to their new names and assignments. Are they capable, worthy? Do they even understand what it means? They didn’t understand, they continued to get it wrong, but Jesus called them anyway.
When Jesus calls us, we must come up from where we are. He brings us up from our sin, from our failure, from our past, from our fear, from ourselves so that we can be with Him.
Acclamation to their new names and assignments. Are they capable, worthy? Do they even understand what it means? They didn’t understand, they continued to get it wrong, but Jesus called them anyway.
Jesus called who He saw fit, not who we would see as being fit. Worldly qualifications had no bearing on who Jesus chose to call to Himself.
Acclamation to their new names and assignments. Are they capable, worthy? Do they even understand what it means?When Jesus calls us, we must come up from where we are. He brings us up from our sin, from our failure, from our past, from our fear, from ourselves so that we can be with Him.
When Jesus calls us, we must come up from where we are. He brings us up from our sin, from our failure, from our past, from our fear, from ourselves so that we can be with Him.
Acclamation to their new names and assignments. Are they capable, worthy? Do they even understand what it means? They didn’t understand, they continued to get it wrong, but Jesus called them anyway.
Moses calls leaders to come up to Mount Sinai with him.
We are not worthy or capable. We must come to God with our failures and allow Him to do the work within us and through us. We must learn to follow Him through faith in who He is, not who we are. We will never be perfect, but we don't need to be.
We are not worthy or capable. We must come to God with our failures and allow Him to do the work within us and through us. We must learn to follow Him through faith in who He is, not who we are. We will never be perfect, but we don't need to be.
He calls us out of our weakness into His strength.
God uses common people to do uncommon things.
14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
To be with Him
To be with Him
Means more than just hanging out and being seen with Him. It was more than just identifying with Him and sharing in His popularity.
It means to separate from the world and stand with Him. To share in His victories and in His struggles. To bear the cross with Him and take our identity from Him alone.
They were called to live life with Him. To learn from His words and from His actions. To follow His example of self sacrifice and service to those He came to save.
They were being trained for what was to come by the Son of God.
So are we.
Sanctification - the process of being made holy.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
As followers of Christ, He is with us always, teaching, strengthening, shaping us into what He created us to be.
It means giving Him time to shape you into what He created you to be.
It means giving Him time to shape you into what He created you to be.
Jesus called these men, as He has called us, to be with Him.
But there is a purpose for knowing Him and learning from Him.
To preach
Being with Jesus means being a witness of Him and for Him. In His teaching and living that they may know and give account of it. To receive instruction from Him so that they may teach others.
This is still our mission today. It's one of the reasons we are gathered here today (sermons, ss class, Wed. bible study, Sun night men and women classes).
We preach and teach and learn so that we can apply. So that when we leave this place today, we can affect the world by engaging the world with the Word of God.
Every person that Jesus calls, He sends. Out to In to Out.
They not only affected the world through His word, but also through deed.
Heal and Free
There are many avenues of belief about whether or not the powers given to the apostles during this time are still in use today.
We don’t have time to go into that this morning, but I will say that the enemy is working just as hard as he ever was to steal, kill, and destroy the individual, the family, the church, the biblical truth of God. And because of that, God is still very much at work in building, protecting, edifying, and strengthening His kingdom.
Instead of getting caught up in the question of specifics when it comes to what and who and why, maybe we should just take comfort in the fact that God is for us today and is fighting for us today as He has always been and will always be.
, ,
But that conversation is for another time. For today’s sermon, I want to focus on another aspect of this.
But I know that our God is far too great and far too powerful for me to assume to know everything that He is or is not doing. I can tell you one thing in all certainty. If God wants people around today with the power to heal and cast out demons, then He certainly will certainly make it happen whether we believe it or not!
But that conversation is for another time. For today’s sermon, I want to focus on another aspect of this.
Jesus bestows upon them a very special gift and honor. It not only edified the men, but it demonstrated to them and to all those around them that Jesus Himself was able to give power as He saw fit, and He gave it as God and not as a man.
Jesus was claiming to BE God! Which many people had a problem with. We have seen this throughout the entire ministry of Jesus through the book of Mark. He was once again showing His divine power and authority over all things earthly and heavenly.
But with all the power and authority that Jesus has to establish the kingdom of heaven, the church on this earth, lets look at the list of names Jesus Himself chose:
16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.
I challenge you to do a character study on these men in your own study time, there are some interesting things to be known about these guys, but for now
Let’s take a quick look at who these guys were:
Let’s take a quick look at who these guys were:
Peter-walked on water, denied Jesus 3 times
They were flawed, selfish, afraid, weak, doubting
Tax Collector
Sicarii
Fisherman
Craftsmen
Anti Establishment
Peter-walked on water, denied Jesus 3 times
Peter-walked on water, denied Jesus 3 times
James- and John (brothers) sought to sit at Jesus' side
John
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew-tax collector
Thomas-needed proof that it was Jesus
James
Thaddaeus-Judas, mommas boy
Simon-Zealot, wanted to overthrow Rome
Judas-betrayed Jesus for silver
I don’t know about you, but these are not the men I would have chosen.
All men were ordinary and did not belong together apart from God.
They were flawed, selfish, afraid, weak, doubting
It was a statement made for a purpose to be accomplished. It was Jesus' rejection of religion and the religious elite.
Acclamation to their new names and assignments. Are they capable, worthy? Do they even understand what it means? They didn’t understand, they continued to get it wrong, but Jesus called them anyway, knowing who they were and what they would do and how they would fail. But He chose them anyway.
God knowing who they were and what they would do and how they would fail. But He chose them anyway.
It was a statement made for a purpose to be accomplished. It was Jesus' rejection of religion and the religious elite.
God knowing who they were and what they would do and how they would fail. But He chose them anyway.
It was a statement made for a purpose to be accomplished.
It was Jesus' rejection of false shepherds and false standards.
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
The 12 were not made up of the wise and clever, mighty or noble.
The power comes from God, not from men. The 12 were not made up of the wise and clever, mighty or noble.
Jesus said they lacked understanding, humility, faith, power. They were uneducated and untrained, but they changed the world under the power of the Holy Spirit and we are living under the legacy of their obedience.
They became the foundation on which the church was built.
Look at what the bible says in Revelation about the New Jerusalem:
Look at what the bible says in Revelation about the New Jerusalem:
Look at what the bible says in Revelation about the New Jerusalem:
Revelation 21:14
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
God's power still works through the broken, flawed and weak to multiply the ministry of Jesus Christ.
God uses common people to do uncommon things.
God uses common people to do uncommon things.
God's power still works through the broken, flawed and weak to multiply the ministry of Jesus Christ.
The great news for us today is that God's power still works through the broken, flawed and weak to multiply the ministry of Jesus Christ. Regardless of where you’ve been, what you’ve done, God can use you to change the world around you. But you have to be willing be changed and to be used.
The Point
He calls us to be more like Him by being with Him, learning more about Him
He sends us out to share His Word with the people around us.
He empowers us to affect the lives of others.
As we grow closer to Jesus, we grow further from ourselves and not only receive the power of the Holy Spirit, but become vessels through which it reaches others.
Our lives become lives of service that benefits those around us for the kingdom of heaven.
Challenge
how would you rather be seen? elite with no results or common with much fruit?
Most of us live our lives in the shadows of false shepherds and in pursuit of false standards that Jesus rejected.
What false standards do you apply to yourself?
Do you strive to be recognized by men or do we strive to be used by God?
How many false standards do we hold to today towards others?
Do you hold yourself in higher esteem than others, or do you see yourself as not being good enough?
What false standards do we hold towards others?
What constitutes a man of God? a successful man? a leader?
Is it education, background, eloquence in speech, breed
Who are we following in our lives? Who are we allowing to influence our lives, families, wives, children?
Who are we turning our back on? Who do we regard as less than or not worthy?
What constitutes being good enough or worthy of our time, attention, effort, love?
Is it education, background, eloquence in speech, accomplishments, what they can do for us?
What false standards do we hold to the church?
What false standards do we hold to the church?
Everyone here has an opinion of what the church is supposed to be and what the church is supposed to look like. We have standards for the music, preaching, teaching, outreach, evangelism, structure and organization.
Jesus’ standard for His church is about making a difference in the lives of others. He said BE WITH ME, PREACH MY WORD, AFFECT THE WORLD.
Are we doing that today? Are we stepping out of our comfort zone to impact others with Jesus, or are we settling for our standard of what church is because it’s safe?
You are common. I am common. We are common.
God uses the common to accomplish uncommon things.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
Do we strive to be recognized by men or do we strive to be used by God?
Do we strive to be recognized by men or do we strive to be used by God?
Do you hold yourself in higher esteem than others, or do you see yourself as not being good enough?
He chose us, and He called us. He chose me and He chose you to build His church and affect the world around us for the glory of God.
The power comes from God, not from us.
What we have to understand is that as much as we set goals for ourselves (which is not a bad thing), and the more we do to achieve those goals (which is also not a bad thing), the real victory comes not when we achieve those things, but in what we do with what we have on the journey.
This is who we are, this is where we are, this is what we have, what are we going to do with it right now? We don’t have to wait until we reach some self appointed level of status in order to do great things.
no one wants to be a common nobody, we want to be above average
We are nothing, we have earned nothing, we deserve nothing, and we will continue to be nothing until we come up out of ourselves and into Jesus. It is through Him that we are made whole, given an eternal purpose and a victory to claim.
We are nothing, we have earned nothing, we deserve nothing, and we will continue to be nothing until we come up out of ourselves and into Jesus. It is through Him that we are made whole, given an eternal purpose and a victory to claim.
We are nothing, we have earned nothing, we deserve nothing, and we will continue to be nothing until we come up out of ourselves and into Jesus. It is through Him that we are made whole, given an eternal purpose and a victory to claim.
how would you rather be seen? elite with no results or common with much fruit?
Who’s standards are you trying to live up to? Who’s standards are you holding others to?
As much as we strive for success and to be known in this world, we must realize:
He uses common people to do uncommon things.
We are nothing, we have earned nothing, we deserve nothing, and we will continue to be nothing until we come up, away from ourselves and into Jesus. It is through Him that we are made whole, given an eternal purpose and a victory to claim.
You are common. I am common. We are common people.
He uses common people to do uncommon things.
But our God uses common people to do uncommon things, if we have the faith to follow Him.
Invitation