The Master's Men Part 4: James the Son of Alphaeus

James the son was thrown over one of the tribes of what you know about what's the point that God is the power right James's work is personality nothing is marked is obscurity, and I think the one guy in your what about the rest of the 12 disciples, what do you know about them and what can you learn from them.

Consider that today as John MacArthur continues his study titled the Masters men in grace to use 53 year history, very few series of generated more positive feedback from listeners than this one and it certainly encouraging showing you how Christ transforms weak, flawed believers like you and me into instruments for his glory.

So if you have your Bible, or the study Bible app turn to the gospel of Matthew. And here's John with the lesson turn your Bible with me to the 10th chapter of Matthew, Matthew chapter 10.

The chapter begins with an introduction of the 12 disciples and follows from there to discuss their initial sending ministry and just as a setting. Let me read verses one through the first part of verse five. Speaking of the Lord it says and when he had called on to him his 12 disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out and heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the 12 apostles are these the first Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother James the son of Zebedee and John his brother Philip and Bartholomew Thomas and Matthew the tax collector James the son of Althea send let me guess whose surname was Thaddeus Simon the zealot and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

These 12 Jesus sent forth. We've been looking at these individuals whom our Lord chose and sent to preach the kingdom to heal the cast out demons we found. I think that it's fascinating to note that in spite of what is traditionally believed about them.

They were very common men very much like we are very opposite the saintliness that we may assume belong to them in an almost otherworldly manner. I was reading a quote this week by Henry Drummond was an author preacher wrote the little book. The greatest thing in the world on first Corinthians 13. On occasion when he was in England he was invited to speak at a very uppity snobbish high class West and London club upon his arrival he found all of the members present and everything was arranged for his message and he began his speech with this very provocative truth. Ladies and gentlemen. The entrance fee into the kingdom of heaven is nothing. However, the annual subscription is everything those men in the club knew about annual subscriptions and entrance fees. That's how they got in.

It was a well stated introduction and that's how it is in the kingdom of God. The entrance fee is nothing free gift. The annual subscription is everything now in the series from Matthew 10 we are examining men who were willing to pay everything they were willing to go to the ultimate sacrifice they were willing to turn their back on their profession, their lifestyle, their homes, their own choices in life to follow Jesus Christ. These 12 gave everything they walked away from their nets, their tax tables their political involvements their enterprises totally committed to following Jesus Christ wherever he led them and may I suggest you that they were a few among many who were not so willing. In fact, unnumbered multitudes followed him.

They were attracted by his personal magnetism. There were attracted by the power of what he said and its ring of truth and conviction in their hearts they were attracted by his ability to do miracles and signs and wonders. They were fascinated by him and by the things he said and did. And so wherever you see Jesus you see this mass of people following.

Now all of these people in one sense or another could be classified as disciples for the word must they taste in the great simply means a learner.

They were there taking it in learning about it. The word doesn't really say anything about their commitment.

That's why chapter 10 of Matthew starts out with 12 disciples and then a verse later it says apostles. First they were learners. Then they were sent when they had shown that they had learned their lessons but not all were sent because not all were willing to learn all the lesson for illustration sake. Look at John six good out of her 66 from that time many of his disciples went back back where just back back to their former life and walked no more with you why. Too much is expected to much is required. They were interested in total commitment to bailout free food that's great healing, super commitment not interested. Verse 67 Jesus said to the 12 listen after everybody leaves. Guess who still there.

12 guys what I'm trying to show years. These are not just sort of tagalong. These 12 are the ones who counted the cost stuck it out paid the price when the rest bailed and he said to them, will you also go away and you don't understand that an English To see the Greek, the Greek is a class of condition that she expected no answer. In other words, Jesus said this in the end if you looking at in the Greek you will also go away. Will you Peter speak for the group says. Where would we go. You have the words of eternal life. We believe and are sure that you are the Christ, the son of the living God, and Jesus points out that even among them one of the devil. But the point was this the crowd was on the surface and the physical fear says we've gone past that were looking at a spiritual truth we see you as the Messiah, the son of the living God, you got it. Why did I take you to that passage turn back to Matthew to because beloved, I want you to understand that these men that were dealing with in this chapter are men who have made the decision they've crossed the line.

They've made the total commitment they will follow Jesus Christ eating his flesh and drinking his blood and pay whatever price there has to be paid.

Commitment.

Remember, the disciple went away because you want to bury his father never the Siebel went away because you want to say goodbye to his relatives disciple went away because you want to comfort that's not the easement. These have made the commitment and paid the price. This is the cream of the crop. Why do I say that because about to introduce to you three men that we don't know anything about and at least if we don't know anything else we ought to know that they made the commitment right because when you take obscure names and really looking today at James son of Althea's Libya's surname.

Thaddeus and Simon the zealot, at least if we don't know anything about them. The tendency is to sort of think of them as second-class sort of out-of-the-way stragglers, when the fact is, they had made the same commitment that Peter and everybody else.

They crossed the line in her total obedience to Christ. Now even asking a question and the question we been asking is what kind of people does God use in his special service when the Lord will not depict people. What kind did he pick and we found some interesting answers. I depict ALL kinds of people anywhere see that the Lord can basically take any kind of raw material at all and use it for the advance of his glorious eternal kingdom. Longfellow could take a worthless piece of paper and write up all on it and make it instantly worth thousands of dollars.

That's genius, Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth millions of dollars. That's riches mechanic can take material worth five dollars and instantly make it worth 500 and they say and skill. An artist can take a $0.50 piece of canvas and paint on it and make it worth thousands of dollars, and Jesus Christ can take a worthless sinful life Washington the blood put his spirit, and it and make it a blessing and that's called sanctification. That's what the Lord is in the business of doing taking rough raw material and using it as a church in Strasbourg in the second world war was bombed along with a lot of other churches. The people who went to the church came in after the bombing to see what was left of their beloved church and they found that the entire roof had fallen in in the middle of the church.

They had a very beautiful statue of Christ with his hands outstretched that had been carved some centuries before by a great artist.

It was a very important piece of art to the church and when they came back and found that the church had fallen down to their surprise, they found the statue still stood remaining.

However, one of the beams have fallen across the hands insured. Both the hands.

The townspeople hurried to a sculptor who lived in the town and said, would you be kind enough to replace the hands on our statue and he was willing to do it for nothing. He proposed that to the church leaders and they had a board meeting after the meeting they came out to announce to the artist that they had rejected his offer. The reason being they felt that the statue without the hands would be the greatest illustration possible for the fact that God does his work through his people and the only hands he has are there hands so the statue remained without hands in a very real sense that's true. Jesus Christ chooses human hand, and sometimes they seem to be the most infirm and the least potentially successful as we have been looking at the apostles we have been amazed. I think at their lack of qualifications.

In fact, there is not an executive search organization in the country. Who would've picked up any one of these guys. They just didn't cut it by the world standards group 1 had some pretty strong leaders James and Peter some pretty solid lovers of men Andrew and John and groove to some pretty good men. There are Philip, Bartholomew Thomas and Matthew Blatz, James the son of Althea's Libya's and Simon the zealot, whatever on this is the least intimate group member I told you they always appear in the same groups for foreign, for whenever the list of 12 is given and it's given four times in Scripture and all the names always appear in the same group of four they move away in intimacy from Christ, but they are all wonderfully chosen by the Lord. They all preach the kingdom. They all taught the truth of the kingdom. They all healed the sick, and they all cast out demons. They were the first order of kingdom preachers after Christ himself, and they will reign on drones ruling the 12 tribes of Israel in the millennium I near remarkable for what the Lord transform them into what we learned about them in terms of the kind of people.

The Lord uses well use a strong dynamic bold leaders like Peter who take charge, initiate, strategize, confront, uses humble, gentle and conspicuous souls like Andrew quietly seek no prominence but bring people to Christ behind-the-scenes uses zealous, passionate, ambitious, uncompromising, task oriented, insensitive men like James who wind up being early martyrs uses loving, sensitive people oriented, believing, trusting intimate truth seekers like John uses skeptical analytical, mechanical, slow to believe slow witted vision was pessimistic, unsure men like Philip and he will use even a man with prejudice in his heart was a seeker of truth and honest and open clear minded deeply surrendered like Nathaniel and you use an outcast extortionist tax collector, a traitor in the most hated man in his entire society like Matthew who knows he is a sinner and seeks forgiveness and turn them into a meek and quiet, humble man who loves the riffraff of society and was a great faith in Christ and now the last group. James Libya's and Simon first James the son of Althea. He would never make Who's Who it would never be a guest on a TV talk show he would never be asked to write a preface for a book or pray at a convention and he would never be interviewed by Christianity today. James the son of Althea's who is that you know what the Bible says about him absolutely nothing is right.

Nothing just his name and he had a famous name. I guess you probably suffered because there was James the son of Zebedee, who was a ramrod of a guy son of thunder.

The Bible calls and the other was James the brother of our Lord.

And then there was James the son of Alpheus never wrote anything never said anything. Never ask anything. Never did anything recorded in the Bible.

In fact, in Mark 1540. He is called James the Mike Ross little little James gets too big.

James once big James son of thunder, little James. He was just a little James born Mike Ross basically means small in stature but could indicate that he was little. It also can mean young age could mean that he was little, and young.

It also could mean that he was least in influence, so I was little younger not very influential.

I can think he probably was. All three of those things. That's why they sort a game that nicknamed little James.

James the less is he's called by Mark if he was older then James the son of Zebedee they probably wouldn't have called him my cross because it would confuse people.

If I would've called him the elder James or the older James so it probably indicates that he was younger and if he was big in stature, they probably wouldn't call them little James and if he had a lot of influence. He probably never would've nicknamed him little James a pie would've nicknamed him something according to his influence. Like bold James or something, so it may well be that he was just a small little young fellow who wasn't a particularly powerful personality… Encouraging to me. The Lord doesn't depend on superstars and all you know so will become a Christian. Just think what happened you be amazed what people say James the son of Alpheus Wilson on a throne rating over one of the tribes of Israel in the millennium what you know about it about it. What's the point that God is the power right now. James Bible is a thing about his work is personality nothing. His mind is obscurity, and I think it's kind of neat that the Lord put one guy in here. It was utterly obscure is the most obscure of all of you and ask any questions he didn't say anything noteworthy about it may be that he just was obedient all the time and it wasn't a lot to say about that when peters appears a lot, but it's usually negative. James ever appears. Maybe he was just on target all the time. There is one faint tradition about early church father say he preached in Persia, Persia, is ancient and ran and he took the gospel of Jesus Christ of that land and they refused to hear him preach, and they crucified.

I wonder what the world would be like today if Iran had heard the gospel preached by James the son of Alpheus. The Lord uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, silent, unknown soldiers, I thought to myself as I was thinking about this individual of Hebrews chapter 11 where it says what shall I say more. Verse 32 time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barrack and Samson and Jeff and David and Samuel the prophet. We know those names and then who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness obtain promise, stopped the mouths of lions points the violence of fire escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, and then he goes on. Women received their dead to life others at trial of cruel markings and scourging of bonds and imprisonments were stone and sawn asunder and tested and slain with the sword and on and on non-nameless, nameless, nameless people who died for their faith. And then he says, of whom the world was not what were the I don't know their names. Even guy just an interesting note on James Alpheus is a common name, so is James. But there's one other disciple, who had a father named Alpheus and that is Matthew according to Mark 214, Matthews called Levi, Levi or Matthew same one and it says Levi Mark 214, son of Alpheus. There is a remote possibility that James was Matthew's brother, may I speak to you from my heart for just a minute.

The apostles and you see this and I just just coming clear to me as I'm going to this series.

The apostles demonstrate to us that it is never really the worker who is the issue in the kingdom work is never the worker I don't think I ever really understood before. What Paul meant when he said so what is a policy and what is Paul is God that gives the increase. Prescriptive Street. The worker is nothing so that in the New Testament never even focuses on these guys. I mean, it doesn't say now you you people. The important thing is to studying these 12 men.

Now I want you to understand their career, their style, their method. There means Bible doesn't pick out the best preacher and giving his homiletic method.

The Bible doesn't pick out the one it was the best healer or the most effective at something or another.

It doesn't even deal with them. The only time the apostles are ever mentioned in the Scripture is when they intersect with Christ for a specific purpose. He is the focus. There's never a diversion.

You don't have any record of the career of any disciple you have the record of any career of any apostle because they are not the issue.

The human instrument is immaterial to God he can make the rocks cry out if he has to them that the human instrument is not the issue.

You don't have to be way up here intellectually or give the gift a category that is not the issue. The Bible never deals with that, the focus is always on Jesus Christ and these people just go in and out of the picture and usually they ask dumb question. You maybe have read the story of the matter. The great painting of the Last Supper called and his friend and he said I want you to look at it unfinished evaluated look it over and he said to him II want to tell you those cups that you've painted on the table are the most magnificent things I've ever seen. His friend was dumbfounded instantly as the artist picked up a brush and some paint and just painted over every cup and said I failed because I wanted you to see Christ you saw cups this wonderful thing to be a vessel fit for the Masters use but that's not where the focuses I think one of the great tragedies of Christianity in our time and place is that we see the cups. We will see Christ we are personality oriented studying the methods and means of men rather than experiencing the power of God, and I think part of the impotence and the church is because of this Christian superstar mentality that isn't the issue. Christ is the issue to the Lord uses an obscure little fella unknown unsung Court of Claims been a brother to Matthew, but goes quietly on notice through the gospel narrative, and yet was no doubt a powerful preacher with a deep deep commitment used by God and someday you can read heavily record for yourself.

Find out all the Bible doesn't say you're listening to Grace to you with the Bible teaching of John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary. As he continues his character studies of the 12 disciples to series. He's titled the Masters men will John today I want to ask a kind of personal question as we think about the variety of character traits both the positive and the negative that were seeing in the disciples. Is there any one of those disciples that you would say you most easily relate to personally.

Well, I suppose people would probably say Peter because I tend to assert myself and take leadership whether I'm water. I've never seen you do the I think the Lord has for the hardware and some of us to be in leadership positions and it was clear with Peter. He had great strength and he he had the kind of personality that cause people to follow him to want to know what he thought to take his direction so yeah II think I identify with Peter. I also identify with the fact that sometimes Peter spoke too fast and acted too slowly and wasn't thoughtful enough. Sometimes his his ambition got ahead of his humility, and sometimes he spoke without really thinking what he was going to say but I think sometimes for those who are strong in personality there is that kind of natural tendency to want to come to the conclusion the solution the direction you're there and you can feel the pulse to do that.

So yeah, I think I would identify with with Peter.

Maybe I maybe I should identify more with John who who was content to take the second place to Peter and humility in God use John and in incredible way writing the gospel of John. The book of Revelation.

The three epistles of Peter only got two short letters so John did very well on it. Well, when it all fell out in terms of the role he played in writing the New Testament, yes I did thank you, John, and friend. If you'd like to dig deeper into the lives of each of Jesus disciples. John has written what has become something of a classic. It's a book titled 12 ordinary men and you can order a copy today 12 ordinary men is reasonably priced and shipping is free. You can order by calling us toll-free 855 Grace or shop online@tty.org and like many of our resources, 12 ordinary men is also available in Spanish. Get a copy for yourself for a few to give to loved ones when you call 855 Grace or visit our website TTY.and when you visit TTY.org.

Make sure to take advantage of the thousands of free resources available there, including Grace Street grace stream is a continuous loop of John's verse by verse teaching through the New Testament begin at Matthew chapter 1 and go all the way through Revelation 22 and then we reset the cycle about every two months. So whether you have 15 minutes or a couple of hours logged on to grace stream and get saturated with God's word grace stream and much more is available free of charge@tty.org now for John MacArthur on Phil Johnson inviting you back for our next broadcast when John looks at how Christ changed the violent man into one of his most devoted followers be here for another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to