Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance Presbyterian Charge

Sunday July 19, 2020

Sermon Series: The Ministry of Jesus “The Appointing of the Twelve Apostles”

Message: The Invitation

Reverend Glynis Faith

ANNOUNCEMENTS

* Did you know that Canadian Blood Services are still operating and in need of donors. To book an appointment to donate, call 1-888-236-6283 or book online at blood.ca

* Tuesday July 21, Zion Session meets at 2 pm and Knox Session meets at 7 pm

* Wednesday July 22, Knox Board of Managers meets at 7 pm

* Lectio Divina via Zoom, Thursday July 23^th @ 7:30 p.m.

* Lawn chair visits – With the easing of gathering restrictions I have begun outside visits for anyone who would like one. Please call (705-765-3797) or email (muskokalakesministry@gmail.com) if you would like to schedule a day and time for a visit.

SCRIPTURE

Luke 6:12-20a (NIV)

The Appointing of the Twelve Apostles

¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: ¹⁴ Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

¹⁷ He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, ¹⁹ and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you . . .

MESSAGE 

The initial invitation is to ‘come’. “Come and see”, Jesus responds to the curiosity of Andrew (John 1:39). “Follow me,” He says to Philip. (John 1:43) To the fishermen, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, Jesus called out “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) And to James and his brother John, Jesus merely called, and they followed. (Matthew 4:21) Blessed are those who hear the call and follow!

The invitation is a gift, a gift that is extended to all. As we follow Jesus along His ministry path, we see a constant invitation to people to come.

Come and listen

Come and be a part of God’s kingdom

Come and be fed – physically and spiritually

Come and find healing

Come experience new life

Come and taste the living waters of truth

Come with your questions

Come and taste that the Lord is good

and

Come and be filled with the spirit of God that you may be equipped to join in the ministry to ‘go out’ and call people to ‘come’

Blessed are all who ‘come’ and take part in the ministry Jesus has prepared for us.

We are most familiar with the call of Jesus to the twelve disciples – Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, the other James, Simon, Judas son of James and Judas Iscariot. I think it is important to note that Jesus chose these men from amongst His disciples. From the passage we read, “he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he designated apostles:” (Luke 6:13)

The twelve Jesus appointed apostles would spend more time with Jesus and get to know Him better. They would go on to have more responsibilities; specifically, to serve as Christ’s representatives in establishing the early churches.

Those not appointed as apostles still played a vital role in Jesus’ ministry. Some disciples, or followers, went ahead of Jesus spreading the ‘Good News’ throughout the countryside. This is why there were often crowds waiting for Jesus when He would arrive places. Other disciples opened their homes to Jesus and the apostles, while others provided funding for their ministry. In Luke 8:1-3 we read:

"Soon afterwards Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources."

All who accept the invitation of Christ are disciples, each of us an important part of the ministry of Jesus. From amongst us Christ appoints some with added responsibilities, just as He appointed the first 12.

Which disciples to draw into the inner circle was an important decision, a decision Jesus made, only after dedicating an evening to prayerful discernment. So what is the difference between a disciple an apostle?

A disciple is someone who commits themselves to someone or to what they represent, or someone who adheres to the teachings of an individual for the purpose of learning from them. The word disciple could easily be interchanged with ‘follower.’ Today we are more likely to use the word Christian (follower of Christ) than disciple.

An apostle can be defined more as an ambassador or representative. In the context of today’s church, the role of apostle is closely related to that of the ministers or elders of the church.

An apostle is first and always a disciple, called to follow, learn, grow and share in the ministry of Jesus. Their distinction is their representative role and responsibility.

It makes sense that Jesus would spend an entire evening in prayer discerning which disciples to appoint as apostles. This was an important decision – who would best represent Jesus and carry on His ministry when His time came to leave them?

The 12 Jesus chose were no different than you or I, they argued amongst themselves, some struggled with doubt and others with impulsivity. One strayed from the group, becoming a traitor and one let fear lead him to denying his association with Jesus. Yet, despite their human failings, 11 of the 12 would boldly profess their faith in the face of great persecution – faithfully representing Jesus and continuing his ministry.

Jesus invited the early disciples to join Him. He showed them the love of God and helped them understand God’s Laws, equipping them to carry on His earthly ministry.

Like the early disciples of Jesus, we have all responded to the invitation. Some of us, like Andrew, came out of curiosity when someone else pointed us towards Jesus (John 1:35-42). Some of us, like Philip heard Christ call us directly, and after meeting Jesus we called a friend to “come and see” (John 1:45). Some of us come with an empty net, ready to trust the voice saying “put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4-5). And there are some, like the tax collecting Matthew, who joyfully left behind dishonest gain to answer the call to serve alongside Jesus (Luke 5:27-29). Unlike any of the early disciples, some of us were born into a Christian home – our parents were disciples who shared their faith with us, and eventually we chose to receive that faith as our own.

Each of us, in our own way, has received and accepted the invitation to discipleship. We come to worship and give thanks to God, to learn more about Jesus, to grow in our faith and to serve God and one another. We come to follow in Christ’s footsteps.

As Christians (or disciples) we carry on Christ’s ministry by inviting people to ‘come’ and experience Jesus, the Bread of Life and the life giving ‘Living Water.’ We have the great privilege of pointing to Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,” and to living out our faith in a way that people see Christ in us.

As the church, we are called to welcome people into the fellowship of Christ and to help them grow in their faith. Together we listen to God’s Word and share God’s kingdom. Together we work to feed the hungry, physically and spiritually. Together we help one another find healing and experience new life in Christ. We come freely with our questions and together we seek answers. We pray together and we join Jesus in prayer as we discern the leadership and direction God is calling us to.

Blessed are we, as we accept and share Christ’s invitation to ‘come’

Thanks be to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Please pray with me:

Jesus, you bid us ‘come’. Come and receive – come and share. You call us to discipleship, and you call us to make disciples. Through Your ministry You have empowered us to continue the work of sharing God’s love, mercy and grace. When we live out our calling Your church flourishes, so we pray for the strength and the courage to be the disciples You have called us to be. We pray this, trusting in Your faithfulness. AMEN