The Messengers of the King B

Were chosen to be trained in their training.

They had overcome a lack of spiritual understanding through instruction, a lack of humility through example, a lack of faith through wondrous miracles, lack of commitment through prayer. The lack of power. The agency of the spirit of God in their lives. In the lesson for us is the same somebody say from semen dues. The disciples were that much different from you and me and that should encourage you, especially if you believe your lacking certain skills and can't be used by God. John MacArthur is showing you that God can use you. No matter your weaknesses in his current study here on grace to you because it simply enough, the Masters men as you examine these men closely you'll see their rough spiritual edges, and how Jesus moved them out and how he can do the same for you. Here's John with the lesson with great joy. We come to the 10th chapter of Matthew. This chapter is marked in the first verse by the calling and the commissioning of the disciples in chapter 10 is the record of their initial sending to assist in warning men of the inevitable harvest of judgment. There were basically four phases in Christ training of the 12 numbers to give you these briefly number one was their salvation or their conversion and that is the initial calling. They were called to believe they were called to Christ in a conversion sense, but then after that they went back to their jobs back to their secular employment back to their homes and there came a second phase. This is their calling. If you will, into ministry. Now there is 1/3 phase of their training of their calling first to conversion. Then to ministry. Thirdly, they are to be sent out and that's where we come in verse one of chapter 10, and there was 1/4 phase of the training of the 12, and that was after the resurrection, and after the ascension when Christ went back and have any sent the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit came into them, and they then scattered and went into all the world discipling the nations, and that was the final sending of the 12 now in the process of training them. Phase 2 and phase 3.

Jesus was basically overcoming five manifest problems that they had and I will talk about number one, they lacked spiritual understanding.

Now that's pretty tough to start with right to work 12 guys into evangelizing the whole world only have one basic problem, they do not understand spiritual truth called me lack of understanding that's part of the discipleship process you have to overcome that. How did Jesus deal with simply by teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching, teaching that have second problem lack of humility. They were a proud, jealous and envious bunch. I can just see the Lord walking on the road and their walk behind them elbowing each other and pushing and shoving. So what makes you think those those of the 12 apostles, you should talk about them like that will let the Lord talk about a Mark nine, verse 33 they came to Capernaum and being in the house he asked them this. What was it that you argued among yourselves about along the way you guys fight in about behind me see all the while is going along. He knows her fight back what was going on and they held their peace. They just got real sheepish and climbed up because they been arguing among themselves, get this, who would be the greatest nice guys are real selfless, humble souls all the time. Our dear Lord is walking along their back fighting about who is going to be the great knee set them down a broad little child and he gave them a lesson on humility for the rebuke.

Look at Matthew 20. Now the argument got really hot about who would be the greatest and James and John had enough goal to get their mother into the deal. And so in Matthew 20 verse 20 then came to him. Mrs. 70 and she's got her sons, and of course they worshiped him first because you always do that when you want something and he Sen. what you want.

She said on him grant these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand and the other on the left, in thy kingdom while to folks that is really brash. I mean they wanted so bad that they didn't have the courage to ask and they got their mother to do it and they stood there standing beside their mother while she asked that ridiculously selfishly. Jesus answered and said you know not what you asked, but that was typical. They didn't know what they heard.

So why would they know what they asked says, are you able to drink the cup that I shall drink, be baptized with the baptism that I baptize with and they set on what we are able course worse. We can handle anything Corsican sin of the mind, then you'll drink the cup without drinking to be baptized with the baptism that I baptize with but you never sit on my right hand on my left what he was talking about was smarter than persecution.

The case of James martyrdom in the case of John persecution in exile you going to go through the pain and the suffering and anguish just looking to get the right and left seats because they're not mine to give, and then verse 24, when the other 10, heard about this, they were furious.

Why because they wouldn't stand for such pride know because they went in front of the other 10 they were mad that James and John were going to get those places not the their indignation wasn't righteous. It was selfish.

The system will you guys are all fouled up about what it means to be a leader. Verse 27 whoever would be chief among you, let them be your what your servant, you got it all wrong and so he had to teach them and then he used himself as example Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, give his life a ransom for many. Now you deal with her lack of humility. How do you deal with. I believe he dealt with it by giving them a demonstration of his own humility. He likened himself to little child in Mark nine likened himself here was servant in John 13. He washed their feet and he said you should do in your loved one another as I have done to you right new commandment love one another as I have loved you. In other words, he overcame their lack of understanding by instruction you overcame their lack of humility by example used an example of his own life as a teaching tool that 1/3 problem lack of faith which is fairly severe for to be in a ministry if you don't believe God that lack of faith over and over and over again affect probably the most common phrase he ever said of them was this, O ye of what little faith he would do so many things and still they didn't seek infected Mark 440. He says to them, how is it that you have no say how can it be that after all of this. You still don't believe how can it be, how can it be the end of Mark's gospel in chapter 16. The 14 verse it says he rebuked them because of their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believe not. Those who had seen him after he had risen and evenly reports of the resurrection. What a bunch to work with and how do you ever transform them into those you can change the world will how to deal with their unbelief by miracles by my mighty deeds showing him his power over and over affect the miracles. I'll be very honest with you I believe in my heart that he did the miracles primarily for the disciples, not for the crowds. There were secondary. The disciples need to be sure an absolute and confident needed to know the resurrection really happen. He appeared to them and he appeared to them again and he let them touch him and feel them and see them. They had to know and he showed himself asked one by many infallible proofs, so he overcame their lack of understanding with teaching you overcame their lack of humility with example you overcame their lack of faith by miracles and mighty deeds. All of this was part of the teaching process that 1/4 problem, lack of commitment lack of commitment they would say we will never forsake you why everyone may forsake you the spirit. I'll never forsake you. I would never deny you or they really talk to when it came down to the crisis of that terrible hour when Christ needed them the most. They were gone and Peter was denying Judas was betraying and the other 10 just split got out of there.

They couldn't handle it. They were gone.

They talked a good game in Luke 511 N. says when he called his disciples. They forsook all Anderson when he called him. They forsook all in Mark 1450 it says they all forsook they took off they deserted Christ when I saw the swords and the staves in the lanterns and the Romans when they started to smell death.

They got out.

Oh yeah they thought they'd be okay, but they weren't. How did Jesus deal with that. How do you deal with Luke 2231.

I just love this Peter is the issue is denial.

The Lord says, Simon, Simon, caused by his old man because he was acting like his old self. Simon, Simon was with us, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you like wheat wants to test you. Peter, and you're going to flee and you're going to deny me. But here's the remedy I have prayed for you that your faith fail not stop right there. How did Jesus deal with her lack of commitment.

He dealt with through prayer. I've tried to disciple men in my life. Men with a lack of understanding and try to work with that by teaching them in with a lack of humility try to work with that by trying to demonstrate the right spirit. Men with a lack of faith and try to overcome that by showing them dramatically. The power of God. Men with a lack of commitment and try to deal with that through praying for them. Fifth problem was a lack of power they were impotent and lack of power they were weak and helpless for an illustration of that in there are many, but for one would be Matthew 17 they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son is epileptic and greatly vexed, and he falls into the fire and often into the water. I brought into your disciples and they could not cure him trying to do their thing in there. They're doing all the motions but nothing happens. Jesus at all faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you. How long shall I bear with you leaving was talkative.

While some evil things done with all crowds of people to use on the oh you guys how long you have to put up with this dream here, Jesus rebuked the demon departed out of them.

The child was cured from that very hour and then came the disciples of Jesus privately said what we do that in Jesus said because of your what unbelief had faith of a mustard seed, you could move a mountain, you are no things like this only happens in prayer and fasting great face intense prayer were impotent and have power honey deal with that.

I believe he dealt with that 1 Marvelous Way. John 20. He says he breathed on them and said receive ye the Holy Spirit the next wanted it says and when the Holy Spirit is come, you shall receive power was very simple. Disciples were chosen sovereignly by God to be the Associates of Christ to found the church.

They were chosen through prayer. They were chosen to be trained in their training. They had to overcome a lack of spiritual understanding through instruction, a lack of humility through example, a lack of faith through wondrous miracles, a lack of commitment through prayer and a lack of power through the agency of the spirit of God in their lives. In the lesson for us is the same when you disciple somebody would have the same problems with the same remedies. What a bunch, but as one writer says in them. He saw hidden weakness and incipient strength. There was an abundance of chaff with the scanty grains of wheat, which would need much winnowing but he was equal to the task.

The germs of promise were there and in time, would yield a perfect fruit he believed in the many chosen and what was more, he had absolute confidence in his own power to make them what he wanted them to be so for us. When I identify with those 12 don't you. I'm so glad God could use me.

I'm so glad that I can find others and invest my life in them and they accomplish the task.

Yeah he he transformed them he really did you know they looked at him and asked for 13 all of the hotshots in Jerusalem looked at him and said these are ignorant and unlearned.

How is it that they have a kind voice.

This they have literally filled Jerusalem with their doctrine and their uneducated, in fact, there are ignoramuses and their unskilled, but it says this, they took note of them. I love that they had been with Jesus. Not good. How they going to be with Jesus together new. They did the same thing. Jesus did, they said the same thing. Jesus said they love the same way Jesus love. Finally, the job was done and they went out as living mirrors to reflect Christ and that's why they finally wound up calling them Christians, which means what little Christ's and it's all bound up in Luke 640 listen to a pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone after he has been fully trained will be like his teacher that great Jesus train them in three years and when they went out they were like their teacher. They graduate. I think graduation days in John 15, when Jesus said I will no longer call you servants. I will now call you what friends that was graduation day. They graduate. That night in the upper room before his death he gave them their certificates. They graduate. Think of it, think of it what they learned in being with Christ literally transform their life and as a result transform the world. Can you imagine walking every day with Jesus.

Can you imagine hearing his matchless wisdom. Everything ever said was perfectly wise and absolutely true. Can you imagine being with someone who never lost his temper never got angry but was only righteously indignant over things.

It took glory from God. Could you imagine being with someone who cared absently nothing for himself but always gave us up everybody else being with someone was totally consumed with literally wearing himself out with fatigue to do the will of the work of another person.

Imagine being with someone who could love anybody and everybody someone of the race. It didn't heal the sick and give sight to the blind hearing to the deaf had an effect on you don't get that kind of training lesson in the classroom you get it by walking around the godly man. That's the process of discipleship.

They were with him. They were with him. It says the 12 were ordained. According to Mark 314 that they should be with him. That's the process they were with him and he became like that's how discipleship works.

It worked in their case they change the world when I had a final point they were chosen sovereignly.

There were chosen after a night of prayer. There were chosen to be trained and finally they were chosen to be sent.

That's why you have in verse one of chapter 10 disciples being trained in verse two apostles the names of the 12 apostles were chosen to be sent up a Stella.

Stella means to dispatch our power away from the dispatch away from in classical Greek the word is used almost entirely of a naval expedition sent to a foreign city or foreign country, in other words, somebody sent the foreign service. All right, you've been trained now. You resent, they became sent ones.

That's what I pasta last means a sent love it. It's not enough to be saved is not enough to be called to serve Christ not enough to be trained. It's only enough when all that's done to go and that is exactly why in Matthew, it tells us that we are to go into all the world and make disciples. We have been made disciples in order to make disciples, Lord made 12 marvelous individuals with one exception filled in the ranks. Later in Matthew 1928 he says there's 12 thrones.

For those that are to be elevated throughout all eternity. The process was completed in their lives were to be in that same process are you being disciples, are you learning with a view to going are you discipling are you training someone with a view to sending them to reach others, whether here or around the world. See training and sending are two sides of the same coin discipleship and apostleship go together.

Phase 1 follow me face to leave and carry the message. So as we come to chapter 10.

They begin with their first short-term mission assignments. Learning by doing the gonna go out in the gonna run it all kinds of problems I come back when they come back to go to spend many more months with Jesus and is going to teach them off of that experience, and finally phase for the final phase will come when the spirit enters them and fills them and they go to baptize and teach all nations, what a marvelous pattern that's their initiation.

Second thing_mention it is their impact when they went they had an impact says in verse one. They had authority or exude zeal, which means the right to have power over unclean spirits, to cast them out and heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Why, because that would demonstrate they were from Christ because they were doing the very same things he did and you can follow them all away to the book of acts, were they doing casting out demons and healing the sick had an impact. They did the same thing Jesus did. Jesus cast out demons. Jesus healed the sick, they manifested the same kingdom kind of of power that Jesus manifested so they were separately linked with Christ and they had a tremendous impact. They turn Jerusalem upside down and then they turn the world upside down and everywhere that there was a riot. People were converted because of their impact. Let's pray for the thank you for showing us how Jesus discipled men things he was able to overcome in his power and how he did it when we learn from this we see ourselves in the process of being learners monthly tastes yet to become apostles pasta last being trained to go to be sent. Oh, not in some official way, not in some manner, as those special 12 for whom a reserve the 12 thrones, but nonetheless to be sent. Train us Lord help us to train others send us and help us to send others the work may go on which you began. When we disciple nations, baptizing them in the name of the Lord Jesus and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. He commanded bringing into maturity and in sending we pray father for those who perhaps have been converted. They been called to Christ.

They've come to the second point of being called to serve. Perhaps the resisting the training of perhaps having been trained, the resisting the final sending Lord speak to each of us wherever we are.

Maybe some orders not yet even come the first time, to follow Jesus in faith. Wherever we are more draw us to yourself.

Your perfect work in each heart Christ. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us.

John is a pastor, author and Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and today's lesson is part of his study the masters. Men John the thrust of today's lesson was cut negative.

It's all about the character flaws in the 12 disciples, you know, there lack of faith, their lack of commitment, things like that. So does it surprise you that Scripture uncovers so many weaknesses even in the heroes of the faith that the Bible is so candid and so detailed about the flaws of people who were considered the best of the best well of course you have to understand the Bible is the word of God is divinely inspired by God's will to be honest about everything to be true about everything in the surest thing about all of us is our sinfulness and our frailty and our weakness and our failures.

God uses weak people because those are the only kind.

There are there. There are, we talk about heroes of the faith, but there really are no heroic people in the sense that said some people by by some innate human capability. Catapult themselves at a higher level. Spiritually, there were all subject to the same flaws and II take the words of the apostle Paul is the evidence of that. Who would argue that Paul is not the greatest Christian in the New Testament era wound we would all affirm that he is based on the revelation of God that he received and wrote and yet it was Paul who said, I'm a wretched man. I don't do what I want to do I do it I don't want to do and the wretchedness was like having a corpse to attach to his own flesh, so this is reality and the good news is the Lord not only save is weak and sinful people, but he sanctifies weak and sinful people and he lifts them up and elevates them. I want to mention a brand-new book along this line. Title 40 lives in 40 days. I know that's an interesting title. And that's exactly what it says 40 lives in 40 days, subtitled experiencing God's grace through the Bible's most compelling characters. This book will give you insight into the lives of not only the disciples but about 30 more key figures in the Scripture whose lives are worth learning from, and in most cases worth emulating in Scripture is filled with their stories.

The stories of men and women who accomplish great things under the power of God in the common thread running through their testimonies is their faith as you study their lives, their testimonies encourage you to respond to trials with trusting resolve and fight against temptation with an uncompromising faithfulness. So it's a brand-new hardcover book 220 pages 40 lives in 40 days affordably priced and you can order from Grace to you today yes I do order it, friend. If you are struggling with discouragement. Read this book. It's a refreshing look at how God forgives his children looks pastor weaknesses and empowers them for his glory daughter John's new devotional called 40 lives in 40 days.

Contact us today. You can call 855 grace and one of our customer service representatives will be glad to help you, or you can shop online@tty.org 40 lives in 40 days will show you what you can learn from both the triumphs of these biblical characters and their failures to pick up your copy, call 855 grace or go to TTY.org when you visit TTY.org you will find numerous ways to take in John MacArthur's verse by verse teaching you can listen to radio broadcasts that you might've missed or you can search John's entire sermon archived by the Bible by specific verse or topic that's more than 3500 sermons and all of them are free to download to your smart phone or your tablet and if you're not sure what to listen to first a great option is grace stream is a continuous broadcast of John's teaching through the New Testament would begin in Matthew and end at the end of Revelation and then started all over again about every two months our web address again GT why.org now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson be here at the same time tomorrow when John looks at what you can learn from the disciple who probably said and did more wrong thing than all the rest Jesus followed that would be Peter join us for another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you