"He Chose Twelve"

Good morning, let's all stand together and we'll sing Amazing Grace in our course books on page 28. 28 in the course book. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. was blind, but now I see. Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appeared the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils, and snares, ♪ I have already come ♪ ♪ Tis grace that brought me safe thus far ♪ ♪ And grace will lead me home ♪ me home. The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures. Yea, when This flesh and heart shall fail. Immortal life shall cease. I shall possess within the veil. a life of joy and peace. The world shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun refuse But God, who called me here below, shall be forever mine.

When we've been there, We've no less days to sing God's praise than we ♪ We first begun ♪ Stay seated and we'll sing hymn number 361. 361. ♪ Sweet hour of prayer ♪ ♪ Sweet hour of prayer ♪ ♪ That calls me from a world of care ♪ ♪ And bids me add ♪ My Father's throne ♪ ♪ Make all my wants and wishes go ♪ ♪ In seasons of distress and grief ♪ My soul has often felt relief, And oft has feared the tempter's name. By Thy return, sweet hour of prayer. Sweet hour of prayer. Sweet hour of prayer.

Thy wings shall I petition bear, to Him whose truth and faithfulness ♪ Engage thy waiting soul to bless ♪ ♪ And since he bids me seek his face ♪ ♪ Believe his word ♪ and trust His grace. I'll cast on Him my every care, and wait for Thee, sweet Alabra. Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, may I thy consolation share. ♪ Till from Abiscus' lofty height ♪ ♪ I view my home and take my flight ♪ ♪ This robe of flesh ♪ I'll drop and rise to seize the everlasting prize and shout while passing through the air.

Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer. Luke chapter 6. Luke chapter 6. started in verse 12 and go down to verse 16. 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. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples. And of them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles, Simon, whom he also named Peter, Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zealotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. Oh, our blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed, most blessed Father in heaven, the one true and living God, of all the gods in this world, all the lords that's in this world, you're the one, you're the true, you're the living God.

And your son that you sent is the only one that can save us from our sin, from ourself, from this world and all the love of it. Only He can do that. And Lord, we thank You that You've called us unto Yourself, saved us by Your glorious grace. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that of all the people in this world, You singled out a people that's particularly and peculiarly Yours. How we bless You for that. Lord, You could have left us to ourselves, been no help, no hope for us in this world had not you chose us and called us to yourself. And we bless you for that. And our blessed Savior, thank you, blessed be your name, for shedding your precious blood to cleanse us from our sins.

Come to us. And even now, it comes to us in this world in which we live, to be our comfort, to be our assurance, to be our help, to be our stay, to be our strength, to be all in all to us. And Lord Jesus, if you'd be pleased, and oh God our Father, pleased to meet with us today, we'd be ever so thankful. Oh, how we need your presence. We need the presence of the Spirit of God to come among us and stir up our hearts, stir up our minds, and cause His flesh to be subdued for just a little while. And Lord, that we might bring glory to Yourself, that the gospel would run so well here today, run in power, run in freedom.

And Lord, that You would enable my poor mind to understand the things of your word and communicate them to people that they can understand and I can understand. And our Savior, we pray again for our families, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, the unconverted among us, those that's never heard. Lord, we have people they can hear with the ear, but they've never heard. with the spiritual ear. They see with a natural eye, but they have never seen with that spiritual eye.

Lord, meet with us today. Cause these things in your sovereign mercy to happen. Bring glory to yourself through us for Christ's sake. Amen. Let's stand together and sing the hymn of the day in the bulletin. God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the sea, ♪ And rides upon the storm ♪ And rides upon the storm ♪ Ye fearful saints fresh courage take ♪ The clouds you so much dread ♪ Are big with mercy and shall break ♪ With blessings on your head ♪ ♪ With blessings on your head ♪ ♪ Judge not the Lord by feeble sense ♪ ♪ But trust him for his grace ♪ ♪ Behind that drowning providence ♪ He hides a smiling face. He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour. The book may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. But sweet will be the flower. Be seated.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold. I'd rather be His than have riches untold. I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I'd rather be built by his new-scarred hand Than to be the king of a vast domain Or be held enslaved I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world's afforded today.

He is fairer than lilies of rarest bloom. He is sweeter than honey from out of the blue. He is all that my hungry spirit needs I'd rather have him, my soul he feeds Than to be a king of a vast domain, or be held in sin's red sling. I'd rather have Jesus than be I'd rather have Jesus in the midst of poems.

I'd rather be faithful to his dear call. I'd rather be true to His holy name Than to be a king of a vast array Or be held in sin and sweat I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today. Than to be a king of a vast domain or be held I'd rather have Jesus than me. of us who are believers, and we don't say this except it's true, Christ is our all and in all. He has given me so much more in this life, but the greatest thing he gave me was life, peace, and joy. that I got through what he did for me in this world.

Started out with me. Listen, this is one thing God does. He, he has to come where you are. You can't come where he is. He got to come where you are. And he has to bring you to himself. And he has to make you want him more than you want anything else in this world. And when he does that for you, he never stops. Never stops. He just keeps bringing you, and bringing you, and bringing you, and bringing you. And then one of these days, he'll bring you all the way home. All right.

I want to deal with he chose 12. He chose 12. This is where our Lord Jesus called his 12 disciples, 12 apostles. Our Lord was head of the church. It says there in verse 12, it came to pass in those days, and it always does come to pass, that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him all, he had lots of disciples, But he chose 12. He chose 12. That's what I want to deal with today. He chose 12.

He ordained these men to be the first New Testament preachers. They called them apostles. And that's what the scriptures mean when it says he's the savior of the body. He saves his whole body, his people. And there's been countless, countless numbers of ordinations since then. but none like this when our Lord ordained twelve to be apostles. Nobody like that.

Mr. Spurgeon went one time to be ordained. He went to a certain place and they was going to ordain him and he waited and waited and they never did come out and he went back to the tabernacle. Never was ordained. Never was ordained. So ordination by men does not change anything. You put empty hands on empty heads, and it don't make a preacher.

And our Lord Jesus, what makes a preacher is Him calling them, Him choosing them. And He chose 12. And they've done more, these 12 here, done more for the cause of Christ as the first men except for Judas, and he's the one that betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want to show you a few things, if I may. Here, first of all, he chose them. He chose the 12 after a night of prayer.

He went out into a mountain to pray. Went out into a mountain. Now, what mountain this is, I don't know. don't tell us but he went into a mountain our Lord Jesus Christ was a praying man when Judas come to him he was often went to the garden to pray he was a praying man our Lord prayed and here he was he said father he prayed to God he prayed to God that's what it says he prayed in all night in prayer to God now God was his father He recognized that God was his father. He recognized that God was the one that sent him. He recognized that God, and he come into this world to be subject unto God. And he says, Father, you gave me lots and lots of disciples.

You gave me a multitude of men in this world, but I'm going to choose 12. Out of all your people, I'm going to choose just 12. And these 12 are going to do something and be something that nobody else on the face of the earth will ever do and be able to do. These men are going to carry on after I'm gone. When I leave this world, these 12 men are going to have to stay here and they're going to have to preach and they're going to have to deal with the world that hates them and despises them. And after I return to you, these men will have to carry on.

And if he prayed before he chose these 12, how much you and I ought to pray just for direction in this world, to direct our steps, direct our lives, direct where we go and who we know and our relationships. You do that, Lord. I ain't got sense enough to do it. And this is the thing about it. We got sense enough to know what to do in this world, but boy, to be a believer and to be chosen of Christ, it takes his electing grace to cause us to himself. And I'll tell you how we should pray. And I'll tell you this. And oh, how he should, we should pray for preachers who's called of God. Our Lord prayed before he chose 12. And how we should pray for those who have been sent of God, preachers called of God, we ought to always pray for them.

And I'll tell you what, the scriptures tells us to lay hands suddenly on no man. I was talking to a friend of mine, I've known him for years, and he always thought that word there, scripture there, meant don't, you know, start a fight with somebody suddenly.

He said, don't use your hands suddenly. And I told him, no, that meant don't set your hands on approval of anybody quickly. Don't set your approval on people. Don't lay hands suddenly on no man. That means don't set your hands on just anybody when you're going to call a preacher, when you're going to have a pastor. You know, if somebody comes in and they sit here for years and years and years, I tell you, we ought to not never let anybody in this pulpit. to read scriptures or pray or anything else until we know them and know their life and know their commitment and faithful to Christ. That's what it means. Don't set your hand on anybody's approval real quick. Real quick. Don't do that. And let me tell you something else.

This is an election of grace. God chose these men not because they would be something, because He in grace would make them to be what they are. And this is an election of grace. You know, everything, everybody, everybody that God ever chose, it's an election of grace.

These 12 here, these men didn't deserve to be called. Not one of them deserved to be called an apostle. Not one of them deserved to be a preacher. Not one of them deserved anything from Christ. You know the only reason they got anything, because you know why they became apostles? Christ chose them to be that. Why did they have any power? Christ gave them the power. Where did they get their gifts? Christ gave them the gifts. And us people call ourselves apostles today.

There's never been an apostle after the apostle Paul. Never. Never will be in either way. That's why Paul said, when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace. Oh, my. I'll tell you what. These men, none of these men deserved anything from Christ. And I'll tell you one of the awfulest, awfulest things that's been inflicted on this world is unconverted, uncalled, unsent preachers. Oh, what a curse on this world. Uncalled, unconverted, uncalled, unsent preachers.

Go off to school and learn to be a preacher. Go off to school and get a doctor's degree. Go off to school and get a degree in literature. Go off to school and become a PhD so that they can have some power, some authority, and make lots and lots of money over great big assemblies. But oh, my.

And I tell you, these preachers are death to the hearers. Oh, God's the only one that can send laborers into the harvest. Only God could do that. And oh my, look what happened here now. Back in verse 12 again. And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray. And listen to this. He continued all night in prayer. All night. He started night and he prayed all night long and day was coming on sun was coming up and our Lord Jesus Christ no sleep up all night praying and look what it says and when it was day verse 13 when it was day come down off that mountain called unto him his disciples, and of them, of his disciples, he chose twelve. And he called, and he also named them apostles. And I'll tell you something, you know why he called them? He calls whom he would.

Look in Romans 9. I want you to see this over here in Romans 9. This is what we're talking about here. Our Lord Jesus Christ You know, people, people think God owes them something, that he's going to pay them one of these days for being good people, for being moral people, be outstanding people. But oh, no, no, no. Look what it says here in verse 11. This is what, this is what, this is why these men were chosen, this is why these men were called, this is why these men were called apostles. For the children, being not yet born, neither having done anything good or anything evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.

And oh, listen now. It was said unto the elder, it's gonna say unto the elder, which was Esau the younger shall serve the younger. As it is written, now listen to this, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. What are we gonna say about that then? What are we gonna say about God when he does things like that? What I hate, nothing I love. God don't hate anybody. He hates the sin, but He loves the sinner. How do you separate the sinner from his sin? How do you do that? You can't do that. Christ has to be the one to elect you, choose you, call you.

And he says this, I love Jacob, but I hated Esau. I wonder how many Esau's are in this world that God says I hate them. And I'm not going to have anything to do with them. I'm not going to call them. I'm not going to look in their direction. I'm not going to do a thing in the world for Esau. Let Esau stay as Esau.

That's the thing about man is so proud and so full of himself and so full of how he's accomplished in this world that he honestly thinks that God Almighty will look in his direction. If God looks in anybody's direction and calls them and chooses them and loves them, it was never a time that he didn't call them, choose them and love them from eternity. And there's this world is full of Esau's law, full of Esau's.

And what are we going to say about it? Oh, Oh God, what are you doing? What are you doing? You're not supposed to do things like that. That's not right. God's not righteous. That's not the right thing to do. He said, listen, You try to blame God for what he does? He said, God forbid that you'd even say such a thing.

And then he goes to the Old Testament and he says, Moses said, God gave him this on the mountain, Exodus 33. Moses said, I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I will. I'm the one that does that. Man don't do it. And I tell you, that's what people don't understand. The only reason these men were called to be apostles, because Christ chose them. He chose them. And he called unto his disciples.

You know what a disciple is? A learner. A disciple's a learner. More about Jesus would I know. More of His fullness, saving fullness would I see. More of His savings, you know, I thought, you know, a learner. A disciple's a learner. A disciple's a pupil. A pupil. Everybody, you know, Buddha's got disciples. John the Baptist had disciples. Muslims got disciples. Every religious leader's got disciples. And they're a learner. They're a pupil. But boy, our Lord says, take my yoke upon yourself and learn of me. Learn of me. And oh, he's a pupil. He's an inheritant. He's a follower. And that means you have a close personal relationship.

And out of this group of disciples, he chose 12. And then look what he says about them there in verse 13. And then there was a day called unto him his disciples, and of them he chose 12, also whom he named apostles. An apostle is an office with authority that nobody else has. authority to do things that nobody else can do.

Now I want you to hold Luke 16, 6 here and turn over with me to Mark chapter 3. Mark chapter 3. I want you to see this over here. In verse 13, This is what I'm saying. And this is what our master said. And he goeth up into a high mountain and called unto him, listen to this now, whom he would. He called unto him whom he would. And look what it says. They came to him. And what happened to him when he called them? They came. They came.

Oh, my. And he ordained 12 that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. Nobody else had been able to do that. Nobody else could do that. Oh, let me go back over here to our text now. Look at the people he called. You know, he called 12. And, oh, my, when he named these apostles, he called them. He called them from being fishermen.

One of them was a publican. None of them was rich. None of them was great. None of them was noble. None of them was connected to any prominent people. They were just men. Hard men. Tough men. And the only reason that they were anything is because Christ chose them. And I'll tell you something else about them. Not one was a Pharisee. Not one. Not one was a scribe. Not one was a priest. Not one was a ruler or an elder of Israel. You know that? Not one of them.

Old tough fishermen made their lives efficient. And I'll tell you, none of them were rich. Look with me over in Acts chapter 3. Let's look at some things about them over here in Acts chapter 3. You know, none of them were rich. All of them were poor. Look what he said here in Acts chapter 3 and verse 1.

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being three o'clock in the afternoon, ninth hour. And a certain man laying from his mother's womb, whom they carried, laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful. to ask alms, to ask money of them that entered into the temple. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked in alms, Would you fellows give me something?

You got any money in your pocket? Let me have some money. And Peter fastened his eyes, looked upon him, and John said, Look on us. And he gave listen, he said, looked up at him and said, Oh, they gave heed to what he was saying. Now listen to what Peter said, silver and gold, I don't have any of that at all. I don't have none. I'm broke. Don't have no money in my pocket. Nothing. But he said, I got something I can give you.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, get up. And he took him by the right hand and he jumped up and went to leaping. and jumping and praising God. Now look at the results of that happening. Back over in chapter four now. Look in chapter four. Well, these Sadducees and Pharisees got up, got upset about this. They called these fellows in before all the people. Look what it says now. Then they asked him lots of questions and all that, and Peter set forth the Lord Jesus Christ in a wonderful, glorious way. And this says in verse 13, Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. These men are unlearned. They never went to school. They're ignorant. Oh, my. But they marveled that these men had these words that they talked about. And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where they got their wisdom. That's where they got their boldness.

Oh, my. I ain't got anything. I ain't got anything. And let me show you something else about this. This shows us that our Lord's kingdom was entirely independent of any help from this world. Our Lord Jesus Christ had his kingdom and his work never got any help from this world. Never got nothing from it. When our Lord sent his disciples out, He said, when you went out, he said, don't take no money with you. Don't take an extra coat with you. Don't take nothing with you.

You just go. You find a house where there's peace there, you spend the night there. If there ain't no peace there, just keep on trucking. Just keep on going. But he said, I'll tell you something. And when they got back, he said, did you lack anything while you was going? They didn't take anything with them. He said, don't take no money. Just take your shoes and one jacket, one coat. And he said, when you got back, did you lack anything? They said, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

What do you lack if you got Christ? What do you lack? If you lack Christ, you lack everything. If you got Christ, you got everything that you need in this world. Everything. And then you'll get everything else that goes with it. And oh, our Lord's kingdom is entirely independent of this world.

People absolutely, I don't know how many churches you see around, that they send the kids out to wash people's cars so they can raise money for the church. They have what they call rummage sales. You know what that rummage is? They rummage through all their garbage and stuff that they're going to throw away anyway, and they bring it out and try to get to come by the church and buy it so they'd have some money for the church. If the church can't support itself, go out of business. Just quit.

We don't have to go to the world for nothing. We don't have to go to them for praise, for money, for anything that we need. Christ never went to the world. These men never went to the world. But this church, the churches today, and I'll tell you when I say churches, I very loosely, they do everything under the sun to try to raise money. They have people say, they say, now listen, our budget's gonna be $3 million this year. And said, I'm gonna pass this card around and I want everyone here to commit to giving this much money this year so we can meet our budget. They just will go to the world because they don't go to God for anything, that's for sure. But oh my, our Lord's kingdom, our Lord built His church, not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of God. That's how He built His church. And our Lord used these men except one to turn the world upside down.

That's what they said about him. These men, they've come here and turned the world upside down. You know why it's upside down? Because it was upside down. They come along and start telling, this is the way the world's supposed to be. This is the way you're supposed to be. This is what you're to believe. This is what you're to act. This is how you're supposed to have faith, where you get your faith, everything that you need. They said, they'll turn this world upside down on us.

And I'll tell you what, it's a wonderful thing if the Lord comes and turns your world upside down. He sure turned mine upside down. I was going this direction, and I was the wrong side up, preaching everything but Christ, trusting everyone but Christ, legalist, fundamentalist, self-righteous, Christ comes along, turns me upside down, puts me right side up. Did he ever put you right side up? Oh my.

And these men didn't possess any money, any power, but you know what they were given? They were given They were given doctrine. They were given teaching. They were taught of Christ. They were given the word of Christ. And they conquered the world not with a sword, not with guns, not with meanness, not with overbearing, not with bullying, but with words. Christ gave them words.

And you know how he conquers men? With words. Words are vehicles of communication. And that's what it is. Our Lord gave them words to communicate to other people. This is what I want you to say. This is what I want you to teach. This is what I want you to tell people to believe.

He said, Peter told, said, there's no other name. No other name. Not Moses, not Abraham, no other name under the heavens above, whereby we must be saved other than Jesus Christ. Oh, my. I tell you what, he gave them words. Oh, my. And it's still that way. It's still that way. Look over in John 17 and 8. I'll be dealing with this here pretty soon. John 17 and 8. You know, this is so simple that men stumble over it. Men stumble over it. They use everything but the word. Look what it says down here in verse 8, John 17.

Look what our master said, I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. And they received them. And then they know surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. And oh my, look what he says down here in verse Verse 14, I have given them thy word.

Look what it says in verse 17. Sanctify them, set them apart through the truth. Thy word is truth. Look in John chapter 6. I believe this is right. I believe this is right. Yeah, John chapter 6. Our Lord said in John 6, 63, it's the spirit that gives life, quickens. The flesh profits absolutely nothing. Listen to this, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.

But there are some of you that believe not." Now he told them flat out, some of you don't believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray. And he said, therefore I said unto you, now listen, that no man, no man can come unto me except it were given to him of my father. From that time many of his disciples walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the 12, now we're talking about the 12 that he chose. Then Simon Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go?

Listen to this. Thou hast the words, the words of eternal life. Christ gave them words. You go say, use these words, these words, and they're still that way. was still that way. His brother Andrew, Simon Peter's brother Andrew, come to Andrew and said, listen, we found him who's the Messiah. Who's the Messiah? Where's he at? Come on, Peter, and I'll take you to him. I'll take you to him. Now look at their names back over here in Luke 6. Look at their names. Simon, whom he also named Peter. Oh, my.

You know, he said, upon this rock, I'll build my church. And the Catholics think that that means that the church was built on Simon Peter. He was the first apostle. But when he talks about the rock, that rock was Christ. He's the foundation the church is built on, not on Simon Peter or any other man. Not because of what he was, because what grace would make him. That's why he called him The Rock. And let me tell you something about him. I hope I'm not taking too long, but, you know, he went from trust to doubt. He went from trust to doubt just that quick. He went from confessing Christ in Matthew 16 to rebuking Christ.

Our Lord said, you're blessed, Simon Parjona. Flesh and blood didn't reveal to you that I'm the Son of God, but my Father, which is in heaven. And he said, you're so blessed. And then our Lord said, I've got to go to Jerusalem. I've got to be delivered unto sinful men's hands. I've got to die. And rising again the third day, Peter took him and said, rebuke him. Oh, no, Lord. That ain't going to happen. He said, you get behind me, devil. Oh, my. And then he boldly, boldly declared he would be loyal unto death. And then he went and denied the Lord three times. Did you think that would be a fine Pope? And then he, you know, our Lord was going to wash the disciples' feet.

Simon Peter said, Lord, you're not fixing to wash my feet. He said, Lord, and he said, if I don't wash you, you got no part in me. I've got to be the one to do the cleansing. You can't cleanse yourself. I gotta do it. He said, well, Lord, not my feet only, but start at my head, go all the way down, wash me from top to bottom. I said, he was just, oh, he's a lot like me, you know, a lot like us. I shouldn't say me, us. And then at the last, you know what he did? He went back fishing. Went back fishing. And then John and James, the brothers, Sons of Thunder, that's what he called them, Sons of Thunder.

And all the Samaritans wouldn't receive Christ. He said, Lord, you want us to call down fire from heaven on them? No, no, no, don't do that. And then his mother went to him and asked the Lord Jesus Christ, now, Lord, when you come into your kingdom, I want to ask a big favor of you about my boys. My boys are the finest boys. I mean, they're just dedicated to you and devoted. I said, I'll tell you what I want. When you get on your throne, I want John to sit over here, and I want James to sit over here. Every crow thinks his baby's the blackest. Every mama crow thinks his mother's the blackest.

And Philip, he was the one who found Nathaniel. And oh, my. And when he found Nathaniel, he said, I found him. Nathaniel was sitting under a tree. He was sitting there about half asleep. And Philip come to him and said, we found him who is the Messiah. And Nathaniel said, oh, no, no, no. And so Philip come and brought him to Christ. And you know what our Lord told him? He said, disciple in whom is a man who is in no guy because he said how could I just can't believe that he could be the Messiah and he said Nathanael before Philip called you I saw you under that fig tree I saw you sitting under that tree before Philip ever brought you here he said oh thou art the Christ sure enough you seen where I was and what I was doing and then he says show us the father Oh, have you been with me such a long time? Boy, but Martholomew and Nathaniel, he's the one they went fishing with them.

And then there's Matthew, the publican, the publican. He's the only one that might have had any money, and he walked off and left it all. And then there's Thomas. Look what he says about Thomas. Matthew and Thomas, verse 15. Thomas was a pessimist. He was a fella that didn't even see the glass half full. He had a despondent nature, always saw the negative. He said, if we don't know where you're going, Lord, how in the world can we know the way? And look over here. I hope I'm not taking too long, but I'm going to finish. I'm just going to do it. I just can't help myself. But look over here, and John will have it with me. Look in verse 11.

Our Lord said, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleep, he does good. That's well, that's wonderful. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought he spoke of taking of rest and sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

And I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent you may believe. Nevertheless, let's go unto him." Now listen to what Thomas said. Then Thomas, which is called Didymus, also said unto his fellow disciples, let us go that we may die with him. He's just going to die too. I said, that's already dead. How are you going to die with him? He's dead. He was the one who said, Lord, I'm not going to believe unless I see the nails and I see the side. And then our Lord appeared to him and said, here, here, Thomas. Here, Thomas. Oh, he was a pessimist. Oh, and then James.

James was the first head of the Church of Jerusalem. And then Simon, he was called the zeal, and he was a very zealous man. Judas, was the brother of James, and then there's Judas Iscariot, and every time his name's mentioned, it's always called the traitor.

Did Christ, and let me now wind this thing up, did Christ choosing him make him to be the traitor? No, he was the son of perdition from the beginning. It was prophesied of him of what he would do to Christ. He sold our Lord for 30 pieces of silver. He was a thief. Mary brought a big box of 300, you know, a big box of ointment and spread it over Christ. And he said, that could have been sold for 300 and give to the poor, not because he cared for the poor. The scripture said because he was a thief.

And, oh, he said, ah, listen, I'll let you know who he is. I'll kiss him. The one I kissed, that's the one you take. And then when they were sitting at the Lord's table, he said, some of you are going to betray me. He said, is it I? He had the audacity to ask, is it I? After he had already received the silver. And then he went and hanged himself and threw the money down.

But I'll tell you this, everything these men became, and everything that they did, everything that happened was because of the grace and electing power of Christ. Those men would have amounted to nothing without Christ. Everything that they did, Christ gave them the power to do it. The only reason they could preach or cast out a devil, Christ gave them the power. And if our Lord Jesus Christ doesn't have May Christ in his sovereign mercy come to where you are and call you to himself.

May he do that. May he do that. Our Savior, oh, our blessed, blessed, blessed, glorious Savior, thank you for your gospel. Thank you for your precious truth. Thank you for your word. And Lord, thank you for your calling and your calling of grace, calling with power.

And do for us what you do for other men. You kept these men, even when they stumbled, when they failed, when they didn't believe, when they denied you. Lord, you never forsook them. You never let them go. You kept them. because you loved them and you gave yourself for them.

And Lord, show your love and your grace and your power to men and women here today who ask these things in our blessed Savior's name. Amen. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. I'll see you Wednesday, God willing. Lord bless you.

"He Chose Twelve"

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"He Chose Twelve"

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