Sermon Tone Analysis

*INTRODUCTION*

* *

*1.      **Jesus called all kinds of people to be disciples*

a.

We have seen Peter, James, John, Philip, Nathanael, Matthew, Thomas

b.

All were TOTALLY different

c.

But Jesus had a PURPOSE for EACH of them

 

*2.

**Now we are going to look at THREE apostles - Kind of forgotten*

a.       James, the son of Alphaeus

b.      Simon the Zealot

c.

And Thaddaeus, aka Judas, son of James and Lebbaeus

 

*3.

**These three are like the vast majority of Christians*

a.

They live, they work, they are faithful, they die

b.

All without little or no RECOGNITION

c.

They NEVER get their names in the church bulletin

d.

They NEVER teach a Bible class

e.

They NEVER get in the spotlight in ANY way

f.

They SIMPLY follow Jesus in the BACKGROUND

g.

They SIMPLY do what Jesus calls them to do

 

*JAMES, SON OF ALPHAEUS*

 

*1.

**This is NOT James, the son of Zebedee and John’s brother*

a.

All we know about THIS James is his FIRST name

b.      His father’s name

c.

And that he was one of the original TWELVE

d.

His name is mentioned only FOUR times

 

*Matthew 10:2-4 *Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The 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 publican; James /the son/ of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

\\ \\ *Mark 3:16-19 *And Simon he surnamed Peter; 17 And James the /son/ of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: \\ 18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the /son/ of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, 19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

\\ \\ *Luke 6:13-16 *13 And when it was day, he called /unto him/ his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the /son/ of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas /the brother/ of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

\\ \\

*Acts 1:13 *And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James /the son/ of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas /the brother/ of James.

e.

In EACH list James, the son of Alphaeus is mentioned in the NINTH position

f.

NOTHING is recorded in the Bible of ANYTHING James said or did

 

*2.

**We know less about James, the son of Alphaeus than any of the OTHER eleven*

a.

Some believe he could be the brother of another disciple whose father had the SAME name

 

*Mark 2:14 *And as he passed by, he saw Levi the /son/ of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me.

And he arose and followed him.

b.      IF this James is the brother of Matthew, he may have become a follower of Jesus when he saw the TREMENDOUS change in his brother

c.       BUT we will not know for sure if they were brothers until we get to HEAVEN

 

*3.

**James may also be the person called James the less*

 

*Mark 15:40 *There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

a.

This James’ mother was among the women at Jesus’ crucifixion and tomb

 

*Matthew 27:56 *Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

b.

But this is really stretching the point, because James is not called by this name in any of the lists of the disciples

 

*4.

**Tradition says James, the son of Alphaeus was stoned to death by the Jews for preaching Christ and was buried in Jerusalem*

a.       James NEVER saw His name on a marquee

b.      James NEVER saw His name in print

c.       BUT James was FAITHFUL to the Lord puts his name in a much more IMPORTANT place

 

*Revelation 21:14 *And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

d.

His name will be just as GREAT as Peter or John

e.       James represents people like you and me

f.       Quiet believers serving the Lord behind the scenes

g.

And yes, often go unrecognized and unappreciated

h.

BUT

 

 

*Matthew 6:4 *4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

i.

The Lesson from James the Son of Alphaeus is that all faithful believers will be REWARDED

 

*JUDAS, THE BROTHER OF JAMES*

* *

*Luke 6:16 *And Judas /the brother/ of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

\\ \\ *Acts 1:13 *And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James /the son/ of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas /the brother/ of James.

*1.      **JUDAS not a name one would want today*

a.       YET it is a GOOD name

b.

It is the Greek form of the Hebrew name ‘Judah’

c.

One of Jesus’ four half=brothers was named JUDAS,

 

*Matthew 13:55 *Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

d.

Then there was Judas the son of James

 

*John 14:22 *Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?