The Dirty Dozen: Ordinary Men, Extraordinary God

turn your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 2 Ephesians chapter 2 verses 19- 22 we're going to be continuing our series on the dirty dozen and we're talking about of course the 12 apostles and I'll explain to you a little bit why I call them the dirty dozen in this message today and uh you know when you think of a dozen you think of a lot of different things you think of a dozen donuts uh that's one of those great things uh and by the way if you don't come to Sunday school every Sunday school class uh right here in the auditorium in the Welcome Center we have Donuts there brother J he brings them in and so you can come and be a part of that I also think of course of a dozen eggs which uh you you

have to take out a loan to get today uh but we do have a dozen eggs and so I thought before the message I just share with you a couple things about eggs uh first of all do do you know why the egg hid behind his mom because it was a little chicken Zeke you're going to be my illustration all right a chicken and egg walked into McDonald's together the clerk said who's first come on they get better why does everyone love hard-boiled eggs in the morning they're hard to beat why did the man steal the eggs because he like them poached how did chicken stay fit the exercise so I I could tell I'm cracking all you guys up but I'll save the rest of the the exciting jokes for next week all right uh but

look at Ephesians chap 2: 19 through 25 22 Ephesians chapter 2 beginning verse 19 now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto the Lord a holy Temple Le in the Lord in whom you also are build together for in habitation of God through the spirit the Bible says that our our Christian Life is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets a number of years ago I did a series called profiting from the prophets and went through and looked

at what we could learn from the prophets of the Old Testament and this series is about the apostles themselves and and what we can learn from them now when I think of the Apostles one of the first things I think about is that there really a Baker's Dozen now you know where the the phrase Baker's Dozen came from back in the medevial days there was a law pass that if a baker Short change the customer in the bread that they gave them because Bakers would kind of say I'm giving you a pound Loaf and it would only be 14 ounces uh that they would be beaten and so a lot of Bakers what they did is they just threw an extra one in there to make sure that they were always above the limit that was

required by law and so the Bakers dozen of course is having 13 Apostles now in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and veres 8-1 1 Corinthians chapter 15 Paul is writing to the Corinthians and he says this in in uh 1 Corinthians I'm turn to 2 Corinthians let me get to 1 Corinthians here 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and veres 8-1 the Bible says and last of all he was seen of me also of one born out of a due time for I am the least to the apostles that I'm not meat to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I labored though more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which

was with me therefore whether it was whether it were I or they so we preached and so we believed and so Paul was a apostle kind of called out of time God called him as an apostle after the fact and and so he made the apostles and even dozen again now you also might remember in Acts 1: 18-26 shortly after Jesus was resurrected and went up to be in heaven that the apostles got together and they chose Mathias to be the 12th Apostle and the interesting thing is is that that even though they chose meias he never did anything that we know of we we know nothing about his what he did and how he was used to the Lord and maybe God intended for him to be chosen but God had his own plans and so there's

a a dozen Apostles in 1st Samuel 16:7 it says but the Lord said unto Samuel look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man lookth on the outward appearance but the Lord lookth on the heart the apostles looked around and said we need a 12th man and they chose meas but God said no I've got somebody else to choose I'm going to choose the guy that's persecuting you I'm to choose the guy that's chasing after you and they he chose Paul and so we see that sometimes God chooses in ways that we don't understand now if we're going to study the apostles we need to know who they are uh can you name the 12 apostles can

you name them goad and go do it with me let's start with Matthew so ready here we go Matthew no you blew it already Mark is not an apostle he's not one of the 12 apostles he wrote one of the Gospels but he's not one of the Apostles turn over to Luke chap 6 Luke chap 6 and look at verses 12-6 Luke chapter 6 and look at verses 12-6 this is one of the passages where he called the 12 and it says 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 was and when it was day he called unto him his disciples now disciples are different than the apostles the word disciple means a learner a student the apostles means uh the the the sent

ones okay so he called together all of his disciples and of them he chose 12 whom also he named Apostles Simon who was also named Peter and Andrew's brother James and John Philip and Bartholomew Matthew and Thomas James the son of alfus and Simon called zel zelotes and Judas the brother of James and Judas es scariot which was was also the traitor now in this series we're going to look at the life of each of these individual Apostles and see what we can learn from them but these men were just 12 ordinary men you might have uh some point read the book written by John MacArthur 12 ordinary men and that's what these guys were in Acts chapter 14 and verse1 15 uh they had just performed a miracle

and the people were starting to say that they were gods and and they and saying s why do these why do you these things we also are men of like passions with you and preach excuse me and preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the Living God which made Heaven and Earth and sea and all things that are therein they were men of like passions in James CH 5 in verses 17 and 18 it says Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the Earth by the space of three years and 6 months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain the Earth brought forth her fruit sometimes when we read the Bible we read about

people in the Bible like the prophets of the Old Testament the Apostles of the New Testament we kind of put them up on a pedestal and say we can't be like them because they're so much better they're so special and we kind of look at the apostles like they're Saints you know and and so whenever you see pictures of them they got these Halos around their head and and uh and and and and but we kind of think that there there's something above and beyond the rest of us but that's not true the apostles they were chosen not because they were good eggs they were chosen because they had excellent personalities e they weren't chosen either for their excellent personalities I have here the 12 apostles

and they're all right here like this and uh so we'll be talking about them and these apostles were not special you know God didn't look around and say oh man look at Peter he's s such a great person I'm going to choose him or God didn't look and say well over here here there's Andrew and he's he's just amazing they were people just like you and and just like me and and we need to remember that as we go through this passage is that that just like God called the apostles he wants to call you not not in the same place the same position but you're you're a person that can serve God and and what's interesting here in Luke chapter 6 is that before he called the apostles and called those 12 out he

went up and he he prayed he prayed you know whenever you have a big decision to make you ought to pray whenever you have a small decision to make you ought to pray and that's what Jesus did he spent a lot of time in prayer and you know he not only prayed about the apostles but you know what's amazing to me is he prayed for you did you know Jesus Christ prayed specifically for you turn over to John chapter 17 John chapter 17 and look at verse number nine John chapter 17 and verse number N I pray for them talking about his Apostles disciples I pray not for the world but for them which are which thou Hast given me for they are thine so he prayed specifically for his Apostles but then look at

verse number six I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world thine they were and thou gavest me them me and they have kept Thy word and then I want you to skip down to verse number 20 neither pray I for these alone but for them also which Shall Believe on me throughout the world he said listen I'm not only praying for my Apostles here Jesus said he prayed for you he prayed for me that to me is an amazing thought that Jesus thought of me in that prayer he prayed specifically for me and specifically for you you know it's interesting that one of his last acts before his crucifixion was to pray go over to uh here well here in John chapter 17 we see that that

aspect of it where he's praying for his disciples one of the very last acts before his crucifixion prayed for his disciples prayed for you prayed for me and he continues to intercede for us in Romans chap 8: 31-34 it says what shall we then say to these things if God before us who can be against us he that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect it is God that justified who is is he is he that who is he that condemneth is Christ that died ye rather is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Jesus ministry right now to you and

I in heaven is to pray for us to intercede for us every day Jesus prays for me every day Jesus brings my name to the father what a what a great thought that is he chose these 12 men he chose these Apostles in Luke chapter 6 and verse 13 and when it was day he called them to disciples and of them he chose 12 which he also named Apostles so the he chose these 12 men out of all of his disciples we know there at one point we count 70 and the other point the Bible talks about 10 and something uh there were many disciples who were following Jesus but he chose these 12 men specifically in John chap 15 and verse 16 the Bible says you have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you

should go forth and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that that whatsoever you shall ask of the father in my name he may give it to you you see we need understand that that he chose these 12 men but also we need to understand that God has chosen us he's chosen us first of all for salvation the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13 but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you Brethren beloved of God of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth wherein to he called you by Our Gospel to attain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ do you realize that God chose you for

salvation that God chose me for salvation now there are some that teach that there's only certain people chosen to be saved if you're not one of the chosen you can't be saved but you know what how do you know if you're one of the chosen of God for salvation John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life are you a part of this world I am and if God said he loved the world that includes me that includes you in fact in 1 John Chapter 2 and verse number two it says and he is the propitiation that word propitiation means satisfaction for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the

whole world you see Jesus has chosen the world he died for the world he died for every man and every woman he chose us for salvation but only those who choose him can be saved you see I can have uh back during the pandemic you know we were was a big deal about not having enough uh vaccine for everybody now whether you think you should have the vaccine or not that's not the argument here okay but if there were an epidemic that was real and if if there were a medicine that could cure it uh the biggest problem we would have is not having enough medicine for every last man woman and child in the world but there is enough of Jesus Christ for everyone there is enough of Christ's death burial

Resurrection there's enough of the blood of Christ he died to save the whole world but only those who take the vaccine will be cured and only those who receive Jesus Christ can be saved you see he has chosen you for salvation you're a part of the world but you have to choose him for salvation in Romans 10: 9- 10 it says that if Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and Shall Believe in thine heart that God has raised the dead thou shallal be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation in Romans chapter 10 verse 13 it says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved he's chosen us for salvation

but you have to choose to call upon him you have to choose to receive him because you need to realize that you're you're religion is not good enough to save you you become a member of church even this church and still go to hell your your righteousness and all the good works that you do is not enough to save you it's not your religion It's Not Your Righteous not your rituals like baptism or catechism or church membership in Ephesians 289 it says for by grace are you saved through faith then not of yourselves it's the gift of God not of Works L any man should boast and God has chosen to send his son to die to be buried and to raised again and he died to save you and me from our sins he has

chosen that path in his life he chose you for salvation but you have to choose him have you chosen him you know I'm married because I chose to say I do to one woman I'm not married because I live with her I live with her because I'm married to her you're not in the military because you showed up a Bas wearing a uniform you're in in the military because you put up your right hand and said I I do and and you join the military and then you know what happened after you joined the military they put you in basic training to change you you see you don't change to get saved you get saved to change and you have to choose to join the military I I I live back in the day when they were still drafting uh

they don't do that anymore you have to choose to join the military you have to choose to get married unless some guy's got a shotgun to your back but uh you don't have you have to choose to get married you still have that choice and you have the choice for salvation God chose you so why aren't you choosing him God chose you so why are you not choosing him go over to Luke Chapter 5 Luke Chapter 5 we not only need to choose him for salvation but you also need to choose to follow him in Luke chapter 5 5 and veres 10 and 11 we talked about this passage a couple weeks back in a message and at the end of the passage there verse 10 it says and so was also James and John the sons of Zebedee which

were partners with Simon and Jesus said unto Simon fear not from henceforth Thou shalt catch men he was a fisherman and now you're going to be a catcher of men and when they had brought their ships to land they forsook all and followed him you see you and I need to make that choice to follow God as Christians you choose choose to be saved but you also have to choose whether you're going to follow him now some of us like myself have chosen to follow him into full-time service like the apostles did but others chose to follow him in life in Romans 12: 1 and 2 it says I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a Living Sacrifice wholly acceptable on him

which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove was that good and acceptable and perfect will of God and I believe in every Christian's life there needs to be a time that they bow their head in their heart and say God thank you for saving me and now you gave your son for me I'm giving my life to you and to choose to live for him it's worth it go over to Philippians chapter 3 Philippians chapter 3 and look at vers 7-10 Philippians chapter 3 beginning with verse number s the Bible talking about Jesus said but what things were gained to me those I count a loss for Christ ye doubtless and Paul talking ye

doubtless I count all things but loss for the exellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which of God by faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable onto his death see Paul said everything I gave up was worth it to know Christ now he's not talking about knowing he was saved that's what he's talking about verse number nine and be found in him not having mine own righteousness

which is the law but that which is through the faith the of Christ the righteous which of God by faith you're saved by faith through Grace you don't work for it but Paul said you now that I'm saved he said I gave my life to God and I said everything else is just garbage in comparison and he said it is worth it to know Christ we need to give our lives to God because the benefits are both in this world and the life to come go over to Luke chapter 18 Luke chapter 18 and look at verses 28 through3 then Peter said Lo we have left all and followed thee now Peter when we get into his life you're going to find out more about him he was kind of he was looking for a little bit of Praise from Jesus

he's saying Lord we we left everything to follow you and he was kind of thinking Jesus going to sayg great job Peter we're so I'm so proud of you but look what Jesus says here and he and he said unto them verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house or parents or Brethren or wife or children for the kingdom of God's sake who shall not receive men manifold more in this present time in the world to come at Everlasting Peter yes you left everything but you gained everything not only in this life but the life to come and so it's worth it to choose to follow Jesus as a Christian now we talk about the apostles and we talk about their lives but I I titled this message the dirty

doesn't go over to Matthew chapter 15 Matthew chapter 15 and look at verses 1 through3 Matthew 15 beginning with verse number one then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem saying why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders for they washed not their hands when they eat bread but he answered and said unto them why do you also transgress the Commandment of God uh by your tradition they they were complaining about the disciples and said these these guys they got dirty hands they're filthy people they're dirty doesn't now that that didn't mean that the disciples didn't wash their hands before they ate but the the Pharisees had come up with a a religious way

to wash and it was very ritualistic it wasn't about having Clean Hands it was about going through a ritual that was not biblical but was traditional in their religion and and they were complaining about disciples but they were calling these these guys are just dirty you're what what is this with your dirty doesn't and in another place in Acts chapter 4 4: 13 it says now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marveled they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus you know what they called him they called him uneducated and ignorant these 12 disciples were dirty men they were fishermen and Farmers they were

uneducated they were ignorant in Mark 7: 18 Jesus said and he saith unto them are you so without understanding also do you not perceive that whatsoever things from within without enter into man it cannot defile him even Jesus called him called them without understanding if you go back in the Greek language that word is not quite the the the word stupid or dumb but it's pretty close to it I mean Jesus looked at the disciples says are you guys just dumb are you stupid are you not listening now he wasn't being derogative you know a lot of times we use words like stupid and dumb we're we're kind of name calling and using a derogative sense he wasn't he was just making a point and what I want you

to understand as disciples they they were not the brightest bulb in the room they were not these educated people had gone to college in fact in Luke chapter 24 and verse 25 it says then he said unto them oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken do you know who said that Jesus he called his own Apostles fools and dumb because really that's what they were turn over to Luke Chapter n Luke Chapter n and the reason I'm pointing this out is a lot of times we think I'm not smart enough I'm not educated I've never been to Bible College I don't know enough to follow Jesus I don't know enough to be used of God and we kind of think we're not as smart as the apostles well

go folks I got good news the apostles were fools stupid and dumb they weren't the smartest ones around but yet God could use people like that we talked about the other week where it talks about First Corinthians the kind of people who God uses the ignorant fools of this world he's not looking for the wise he's looking for people that people look at and say that must be God because they're not that smart and they can see God working in their lives in Luke chapter 9 and: 43 and 45 Luke chapter 9 43 45 it say and they were all amazed at the mighty power of God but while they wondered every one of all the things which Jesus did he said un disciples let these sayings uh sink down into your ears

for the son of man shall be delivered under the hands of men but they understood not the same and it was hid from them and they perceived belied it not and here's the next thing and they feared to ask him of that saying they were so afraid of even say anything they were afraid to ask the question folks the only dumb question is the one not asked in James chapter 1 verse 5 the Bible says if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men Liberty and breth not it should be given unto him you come to i i people come to church week after week and and and they want to get saved but they're not sure how and they never ask somebody can you show me how to be saved people come to

church week after week and they want to they want to get victory over sin but they're afraid to ask how do I get victory over this sin folks the only dumb question is the one not asked and if you're struggling with a question about the Bible you're struggling with a question about the Christian Life if you're struggling with a question about your salvation or anything else don't sit there and just be ignorant ask ask the question you know they did ask a question look at the next verse verse number 46 or 45 they understood not the saying it was hid from them and they perceived it not they feared it to ask him of that saying then there arose a reason among them which of them should be the

greatest Now understand Jesus had just told them I'm going to die he explained to him I'm going to have to die and be buried and raised again they didn't understand it what that he was really they didn't understand the fact that he had to die and now instead of asking we don't understand this Lord you're going to die what did they do they argue over who's going to be the the greatest and they start asking who's it going to be Lord isn't this the way we are too I I've told you a story about years ago my kids were little uh we were going to get some insurance on me and so for part of that we had to have somebody come to the house and take blood to make sure that I wasn't going to die tomorrow

you know all that kind of stuff and they did a quick medical exam and after the lady left the the kids asked my wife and said well why was dad getting blood taken and why why was it going on and she explained but we're getting Insurance on your dad so if he dies then we'll have money to to be able to live on and they said oh well how much you going to get and and I think we said 400,000 it was what we got we getting Insurance on at that time and they said wow that's a lot of money and then they begin talking among themselves and say if we had $400,000 we could buy a pony we could buy new bikes we could get a pool in the backyard and I'm sitting there while they're talking like this and my

wife turn says to him finally says to him you understand the way to get that $400,000 Daddy's got to die and they go oh and then about 60 seconds later they said but can we still get a pool I slept the next week with my eyes open because I was afraid what my kids were going to do to me the apostles Jesus just sits him down and explains to him I am going to die I'm going to be crucified on the cross I'm going to be buried I'm going to raise again and none of them were like Lord no you know they they they didn't understand it and they didn't ask any questions and then immediately turned around and said well who's going to be the greatest in the Kingdom isn't that way we are folks if God could

use stupid dumb fools that can't even ask a simple question and are more worried about themselves than any than what God's doing do you think he might be able to use you do you think he might be able to use me you know sometimes the apostles discourage me but I'm encouraged by the fact if God could use these dummies then maybe there's hope for me too they failed Jesus at the time he needed the most the time of the crucifixion what happened to all disciples they were gone they failed to have faith you remember how in Matthew chapter 8 turn over there if you would Matthew chapter 8 and verse number 23 Matthew chapter 8 in verse number 23 says and when he was entered the ship his disciples

follow followed him behold there arose a great temptest in the sea and as much the ship was covered with the waves but he was asleep his disciples came to him and awoke him saying Lord save us we perish we're going to sink and he said unto them why are you fearful you little faith they had seen Miracle after Miracle after Miracle a storm comes and all of a sudden it's like God you're not helping us in fact in Matthew chapter 14 just a few chapters later nether storm comes and what do they do they panicked again I mean the these are the apostles and they had very little faith even when they'd seen the Miracles they still didn't believe it Jesus fed 5,000 and what happened when there was 4,000

we can't feed them they had so little faith but at least they understood that in Luke Chapter 17:5 the apostles said Lord increase our faith and folks we need to stand that faith is not how strong you are faith is learning how strong God is and the apostles struggled with that and so do I Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11 that faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence Things Not Seen and verse number six but without faith is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him faith is not about how strong you are faith is about understand how strong God is these guys struggled with faith they struggled

when Jesus needed to pray remember Matthew chapter 26 he went into the garden and took three of his Apostles with him and said can you pray with me he just before his crucifixion remember he sweat great drops of blood in that prayer time it was just an agonizing time for he says can you can you stay with me and pray with me and they fell asleep he woke them up and said listen I need you to pray with me and he they fell asleep again and again and again and finally he just let him sleep at the time he needed them the most to pray for him where were they at his crucifixion they all scattered they all ran off even Peter who bragged he' never forsake the Lord even after his resurrection we talked

about this the other week even after the resurrection after they seen him risen from the dead what did they do they went back to their boat to started fishing again folks don't put the apostle up on this pedestal that there's some great men of God that just are Way Beyond you and I are Supermen they were people just like you and just like me and I hope as we go through the series that's what you'll see and you'll realize that if God could use these dumb ignorant fools with so little faith that maybe there's hope for me and maybe there's hope for you these fools became the foundation of the church now this was very fragile go to First Corinthians 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and we're going to

close with just a couple thoughts 2 Corinthians chapter 12 these guys even what faith they had was very fragile they struggled even throughout the time with Jesus and when he was gone they struggled in 2 Corinthians chap 12 and beginning with verse number 7 unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations that were given to me of of the to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to Buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure for this thing I besought the Lord Thrice that he might it might depart from me and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my

infirmities that the power of Christ May rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches in necessities and persecutions and dis and distresses for Christ's sake for when I'm weak then I'm strong see sometimes we have to understand that it's not about how strong you and I are it's about how strong our God is eggs are so amazing they're so fragile they break so easily but you can take an egg like this and squeeze it as hard as you want and it won't break it's amazing how weak they are and how strong strong they are you know what amazes me is sometimes how strong I can be in the Lord sometimes how weak I can be in the Lord and sometimes God puts us in a situation he says I

want you to learn to have faith I want you to learn to find your strength in me sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives because he wants to Humble Us in James chapter 4: six but he gives more grace wherefore he say God resists the proud but giveth Grace unto the humble in verse 10 humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He Shall lift you up sometimes God gives us trials in our lives say our weaknesses are what reminds us of our need for God in Matthew 11: 28-30 come onto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest under your souls for my yoke is easy my burden

is light sometimes God puts us in a situation where he says I want you to learn how how to trust in me how to find let me take over let me be the strength in your life then sometimes God uses our weaknesses despite us despite the weaknesses in Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 5 when Isaiah saw the the Holiness and the the the greatness of God it says in verse five then said I woe was unto me for I am undone because I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of people unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the king king and the Lord of hosts Paul Isaiah stood before God he realized I am nothing I am a worm I Am So So Unworthy but then in verse six God says who will go for me who shall I send

and who will go for us then said I here am I send me and sometimes the only way we can really truly be used by God is when we come to the point realize it's not my talents it's not my abilities it's not how smart I am am it's not how Godly I am it's how great is my god and my great God can use someone like me in my weaknesses and that's what God wants us to learn from the apostles