Sermon #33 Luke Series
Title: Prayer, Preaching, Power
Text: Luke 6:12-19
Subject: The Call of the Apostles
Date: Sunday Evening ―
Tape # V-91b
Introduction:
The title of my message
tonight is Prayer, Preaching, Power. In the paragraph before us,
we have the Holy Spirit’s description of our Lord’s calling and ordination of
his twelve apostles. Though apostolic office ceased with the apostolic age, the
calling of these men is still very instructive. This passage teaches us much
concerning the blessed work of the gospel ministry. Let’s read the text
together, and pray that God the Holy Spirit will be our Teacher, as we seek to
understand the things here written for our learning and admonition.
(Luke 6:12-19) "And it came
to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued
all night in prayer to God. (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. (17) And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and
the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea
and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear
him, and to be healed of their diseases; (18) And they that were vexed
with unclean spirits: and they were healed. (19) And the whole multitude
sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all."
This is the beginning of
what we call the Christian ministry. Without question, all the prophets of the
Old Testament preached the same gospel these men preached. John the Baptist
preached the same message, too. And God’s servants today preach that same
glorious gospel of the grace of God. (The singular message of God’s servants is
Jesus Christ and him crucified. ―”Any sermon,”
Bro. Scott Richardson said, “That does not have Christ for its beginning,
middle, and end is a mistake in its conception and a
crime in its execution.) These twelve men were the first men set apart by
Christ in this gospel age and sent forth to proclaim the glad tidings of God’s
free grace in him.
Illustration: “That was a very poor sermon.”…But Christ
was not my subject…Christ was not in the text.”
This was the first
ordination service of the New Testament era. I want you to see at the outset
that the ordination of a man to the work of the gospel is the work of the Lord
God himself. If a man is called and sent of God to preach the
gospel, that is his ordination. Our ordination services are only the
public recognition of a man’s gifts by the local church. We have no ability to
make men preachers. All we do in ordaining a man to the ministry is publicly
acknowledge our recognition of a man’s gifts and publicly identify ourselves
with him, commending him to men as God’s messenger.
How far we have degenerated
from the pattern of the New Testament in all things! This degeneration is seen
most clearly in this first ordination of gospel preachers. What is called
“ordination” today is similar only in name. When our Lord ordained twelve, the
whole affair was simple and solemn. There were no....
·
Burning Candles.
·
Gorgeous Robes.
·
Theological Quizzes.
·
Ceremonial Spectacles
Proposition: I want you to see that, as
in all things relating to the Church and
I. Prayer ― When the lord Jesus ordained
these first twelve preachers, he did so after much prayer.
(Luke 6:12-13) "And it came
to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued
all night in prayer to God. (13) And when it was day, he called unto
him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named
apostles;"
This fact is here recorded
to teach us the great place and importance of prayer in all aspects of divine
service. It is particularly designed to show us that God’s servants ought
always to be the objects of his people’s fervent prayers.
A. The most important thing for a congregation to do when seeking a
pastor is pray - Pray for God to send a pastor after his own heart (Jer.
3:15).
B. The most important thing for a man to do, before he takes up the
work of the gospel ministry is pray - Pray that God will direct him and show
him plainly what his purpose is. ― “Show me now
thy way...If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence.”
(Jer
3:15) "And I will give you pastors
according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and
understanding."
I will not attempt to say
who is or who is not called of God to preach the gospel. That is God’s work
alone. But this I know, if God calls a man to this
work...
1. He will be a man chosen of
God for the work. ―”Of them he
chose twelve.”
2. He will give him the gifts
for the work. - Understanding - Ability.
3. He will give him a burden
for the work.
4. People will want to hear
him.
5. He will put him in the work.
6. He will give him a love for
the work. ― Tom Harding ― (Eph. 3:8). ― D.P.
7. He will give him success in
the work.
An ego trip is not a call of
God. Let no man run who has not been called and sent of God with the message of
grace burning in his soul. Preachers who are not sent of God are a hindrance,
not a help in the work of the gospel.
C. If you would help the cause of Christ, pray for his servants.
― “Brethren, pray for us.”
(1 Th 5:12-13) "And we
beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in
the Lord, and admonish you; (13) And to esteem
them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among
yourselves."
(2 Th 3:1-2) "Finally,
brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course,
and be glorified, even as it is with you: (2) And that we may be
delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not
faith."
J. C. Ryle wrote, “The progress of the
Gospel, under God, will always depend much upon the character and conduct of
those who profess to preach it.” If your pastor is to be useful in the hands of
God, he needs your prayers. He must be faithful in prayer, in study, in the
Word, in doctrine, and in behavior. But you must be faithful in prayer for him.
·
The work is heavy. ― Burden of the Word.
·
The responsibilities are enormous. ― Eternity bound sinners!
·
We are small and weak. ― Nothing but
worthless worms.
·
The work requires wisdom. ― Knowledge and Understanding
·
We are ignorant.
II. Preaching
― Gospel
preaching is a work for which God alone can make a man sufficient. ― “Who
is sufficient for these things?”
(Luke 6:14-16) "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."
Look at these twelve men.
Four of them were fishermen. One of them was a publican. They were, for the
most part at least, Galileans. Not one of them was wealthy, politically
connected, powerful, or influential. They were, obviously, in the world’s
esteem, “unlearned and ignorant men” (Acts
A. The church and
(Zec 4:6) "Then he answered
and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of
the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,
saith the LORD of hosts."
(1 Cor
B. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual.
(2 Cor 10:3-5) "For though
we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (4) (For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds;) (5) Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ;"
(Rom 1:15-17) "So, as much
as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at
C. I must not fail to call your attention to the fact that one of
the first twelve preachers was Judas Iscariot, a devil and a betrayer.
I have often wandered why the
Lord Jesus put Judas among the twelve. Haven’t you? The master knew that Judas was
a graceless man, that he was a deceiver and a hypocrite from the beginning.
Yet, he put him among the apostles, preached with him, and sat with him at the
Lord’s Table. Why? There are some things about this which ought to be obvious.
1. Our Lord would teach all
preachers of the gospel the necessity of constant, personal self-examination. ―
“Let him that thinketh he standeth take
heed, lest he fall.”
2. Preachers must not be
idolized. ― Esteem them highly. ― Pray for them faithfully. ―
Follow their faith (their doctrine and their example). ― But do not make
an idol out of any man. “Let no man glory
in men.”
(1 Cor 3:5-9) "Who then is
Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the
Lord gave to every man? (6) I have planted, Apollos watered; but God
gave the increase. (7) So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither
he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (8) Now he that
planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own
reward according to his own labour. (9) For we are labourers together
with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."
(2 Cor 4:1-7) "Therefore
seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; (2) But
have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor
handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth
commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. (3) But
if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them. (5) For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. (6) For
God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our
hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and
not of us."
3. In the
God will, in his time,
separate the precious from the vile. We have no ability to do so. If a man’s
message is a false gospel, he clearly identifies himself as a false prophet.
But we dare not assume that we can read the motives of a man’s heart. So long
as he preaches the gospel and lives uprightly, we must not attempt to judge
whether he is or is not God’s messenger.
III. Power ―
The great secret to the power and efficacy of gospel preaching is the
presence of Christ.
(Luke 6:17-19) "And he came
down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a
great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea
coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their
diseases; (18) And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they
were healed. (19) And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there
went virtue out of him, and healed them all."
Let me show you just three
things here. In this crowd of men, we see three things. Oh, how I pray that
these three things might be found in this place every time we gather in
Christ’s name.
A.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the
Son of God came down. ― “He came down with them and stood in the company of his disciples.”
Illustration: Christmas
Evans
B.
The people who came to hear
the gospel came with great needs.
·
They came to hear him. - Not to hear a man only, but to hear him!
·
They came to be healed.
·
They sought to touch him.
C.
“Virtue went out of him and healed them all.” ― May it be so this hour, for
Christ’s sake!
Amen.