Participants: Bill Santos
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201206
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00:04 >>Bill: When it was built for an international
00:05 exposition in the last century the structure was 00:07 called monstrous by the citizens of the city, who 00:10 demanded it be torn down as soon as the exposition 00:11 was over. Yet from the moment its architect first 00:16 conceived it, he took pride in it and loyally 00:21 defended it from those who wished to destroy it. He 00:22 knew it was destined for greatness. Today it is 00:25 one of the architectural wonders of the modern 00:31 world and stands as the primary landmark of Paris, 00:32 France. The architect, of course, was Alexandre 00:37 Gustave Eiffel. His famous tower was built in 1889. 01:01 >>Announcer: It has stood the test of time. 01:03 God's book, The Bible. 01:06 Still relevant in today's complex world. 01:11 It Is Written. 01:13 Sharing messages of hope around the world. 01:28 >>Bill: In the same way I am struck by Jesus' 01:29 loyalty to another structure--the 01:32 church--which he entrusted to an unlikely band of 01:36 disciples, whom he defended, prayed for, and 01:37 prepared to spread the gospel. To many they must 01:44 have seemed like incapable blunderers, lacking 01:48 education, experience and totally unqualified for 01:49 the task they had been called to complete. We 01:55 remember that our blessed Lord saw Israel, and 02:00 surely the whole world as a vast field to be 02:01 harvested. That's why in Matthew 9:37 He said, 02:15 Everybody is involved. He could see the multitude 02:16 coming to Him and then as He looked at that 02:20 multitude it stretched across the world and He 02:22 could see all men as a field to be harvested. 02:23 They were grain, either to be gathered in or to be 02:30 cast out. And they had been betrayed by their 02:35 shepherds, who were false shepherds, who had mangled 02:36 them and mauled them and mutilated them and left 02:40 them for dead. And when Jesus saw people that way 02:45 He was moved with compassion, it says 02:46 in, Matthew 9:36. 03:00 Literally He felt their pain, He suffered as He 03:01 Himself experienced their agony. And out of that He 03:07 calls on His disciples, in verse 38 He asks them to 03:12 pray, and He asks them to pray that God will send 03:13 forth laborers. Now, as we come to Matthew 10:1, 03:22 He calls the very ones He asked to pray to do the 03:28 ministry themselves. First in verse 38 it's pray, 03:29 then in verse 6 of chapter 10 it's go, and then in 03:34 verse 7 it's preach. The very ones who were the 03:38 ones praying are the ones who become the ones going 03:39 and preaching. Who are these twelve who 03:45 are sent? Let's meet them. Matthew 10:2 04:18 Now frankly, these were just ordinary men. The 04:19 only one who may have had some special wealth was 04:22 Matthew and he gained it by being an extortionist 04:28 and working for Rome. 04:28 None of them that we know of had any particular 04:33 academic background. Some of them are still utterly 04:34 unknown to us. All we know is their names. They were 04:39 chosen from the common people to be the ones who 04:43 would be the first line of agents of Christ to set in 04:44 motion the advancement of the Kingdom throughout 04:48 the history of the world. 04:49 There has been never in the history of the world, 04:54 a task to equal the task these twelve were given, 04:59 never. Now, usually when we think about Peter, 05:00 Andrew, James and John we have that view of stained 05:05 glass saints. People who are on a completely 05:10 different plane than we are. That's really not 05:11 the way it ought to be. 05:17 They are very common men with a very uncommon 05:18 calling. But they're very much like we are. And they 05:25 demonstrate to us the kind of people God uses. Now 05:32 let me show five things I think Jesus had to work 05:33 with, to overcome in the lives of the disciples in 05:40 order to prepare them for the work. Maybe you can 05:46 find yourself in any of these? Number one, 05:47 they lacked spiritual understanding. Now that's 05:56 pretty tough to start with, right? You're going 06:00 to work twelve guys into evangelizing the whole 06:01 world, only they have one basic problem, they do 06:06 not understand spiritual truth. In Luke 18:31, we 06:15 have an interesting exchange, let's read it: 06:33 All of that stuff had been presented in the Old 06:34 Testament, look at what it says in verse 34: 06:50 I mean could they not have understood some of 06:51 these things, yet they understood "none 06:54 of these things." 07:00 In John 13: 6 - 7, Jesus humbled Himself and washed 07:01 their feet and Peter said in verse 8: 07:15 Jesus replied, "Peter you don't understand now 07:16 but you will understand later." In Matthew 07:19 16: 21 - 23 we read: 08:03 And after the resurrection and Peter had seen the 08:04 risen Christ, Peter and all of his buddies went 08:08 back to fishing, can you imagine? Went right back 08:13 to where they started. And the Lord comes up there 08:14 and of course He rerouted all the fish in the sea so 08:18 none went near their boat, they were never going to 08:24 be able to fish again. And then He gets them all into 08:25 the shore and in effect He says, what is going on? Do 08:29 you love Me, Peter? Then feed My sheep, that's what 08:39 I called you to do. 08:39 You see here it is John 21 and he still doesn't 08:44 understand his role. 08:44 He didn't understand his role, he didn't understand 08:49 the purpose of Christ's sufferings, they didn't 08:50 understand the principles. 08:55 Lack of understanding. 09:00 Now they had a second problem, lack of humility. 09:01 They were a proud, jealous, envious bunch. 09:04 I can just see the Lord walking down the road and 09:09 they're walking behind Him, elbowing each other 09:10 and pushing and shoving. 09:14 Mark 9:33 09:30 All the while they were walking Jesus knew they 09:31 was quite a discussion going on amongst the 09:37 disciples. When they arrived at their 09:39 destination He inquired of them - what had been 09:40 the topic of the animated discussion? Verse 34 09:55 What was going on? "but they kept silent;" they 09:56 just got real sheepish and clammed up, "because 10:01 they'd been arguing among themselves," get this, 10:06 "who would be the greatest." 10:10 All the time our dear Lord is walking along they' 10:11 back fighting about who is going to be the greatest. 10:15 "And he sat them down," and He brought a little 10:19 child, and He gave them a lesson on humility. What 10:20 a rebuke! The disciples were all confused about 10:29 what it meant to be a leader, and Jesus had to 10:33 set them straight and He did in Matthew 20:26 - 28 11:04 They had a third problem. 11:04 They had a lack of faith. 11:05 Over and over and over again, in fact probably 11:06 the most common phrase Jesus ever said to them 11:11 was this, "0 ye of little faith." In fact in Mark 11:12 4:40 He says to them, 11:28 How can it be that after all of this you still 11:29 don't believe? How can it be? How can it be? 11:34 At the end of Mark's gospel 16:14 it says, 11:56 They didn't even believe reports of the 11:57 resurrection. Now what a bunch to work with, and 12:01 how do you ever transform men like this into those 12:04 who can change the world? They had a 12:05 fourth problem, lack of commitment. They would 12:09 say, we will never forsake You. Why everyone may 12:11 forsake You, says Peter, I'll never forsake You. I 12:12 would never deny You. But when it came down to the 12:17 crisis of that terrible hour when Christ needed 12:24 them the most they were gone. And Peter was 12:25 denying and Judas was betraying and the other 12:28 ten got out of there. They couldn't handle it, they 12:32 were gone. They talked a good game. In Luke 5:11 12:33 you know what it says? 12:39 When He called His disciples, "they 12:40 forsook all." Isn't that interesting? When He 12:47 called them they forsook all. In Mark 14:50 it 12:48 says, "they all forsook." 12:49 They deserted Christ when they saw the swords and 12:55 the lanterns and the Romans. When they started 12:56 to smell death they got out. They thought they'd 12:59 be okay but they weren't. 12:59 Fifth problem they had was a lack of power. They were 13:07 weak and helpless. For an illustration of that and 13:12 there are many but for one would be 13:13 Matthew 17:14 - 16, 13:39 Now they've been out trying to do their thing 13:40 and they're, they're doing all the motions 13:44 but nothing happens. 13:45 Jesus said, verse 17, 13:59 Jesus rebuked the demon, and departed out of him; 14:00 and the child was cured from that very hour. And 14:04 then came the disciples to Jesus privately, and said, 14:11 Why couldn't we do that? And Jesus 14:11 replied, verse 20 14:34 Listen, it's very simple. 14:35 The disciples were chosen by Jesus but in working 14:41 with them He had to overcome their lack of 14:42 spiritual understanding, a lack of humility, a 14:46 lack of faith, a lack of commitment, and a lack of 14:50 power. What a bunch. 14:50 In the book Desire of Ages we read: 15:11 There's hope for us. Bo I identify with those 15:12 twelve, don't you? The Disciples accomplished the 15:17 task, Jesus transformed them, He really did. And 15:24 you know when they looked at them in Acts 4:13, 15:25 all of the hotshots in Jerusalem looked 15:34 at them and said, 15:49 "These are ignorant and unlearned men." How 15:50 is it that they have accomplished this? They 15:54 have literally filled Jerusalem with their 15:59 doctrine, and they're uneducated in fact they're 16:00 ignoramuses and they're unskilled. But it 16:05 says this, continuing in verse 13 16:17 "They took note of them," I love this, "that they 16:18 had been with Jesus." 16:24 Isn't that good? How did they know that? How did 16:25 they know that they'd been with Jesus? I'll tell you 16:30 how they knew. They did the same things Jesus did. 16:34 They said the same thing Jesus said, they loved 16:35 the same way Jesus loved. 16:40 Finally, the job was done, and they went out as 16:41 living mirrors to reflect Christ. And that's why 16:46 they finally wound up calling them Christians, 16:52 which means what? Little Christs. And it's all 16:53 bound up in Luke 6:40 listen to it, 17:16 Isn't that great? Jesus trained them in three 17:17 years, and when they went out they were like their 17:20 teacher. So what kind of people does He use? What 17:27 kind of people does He draw into intimacy with 17:28 Him? Who are these stained glass saints? What do you 17:35 have to be to get really close to Jesus? Think of 17:40 this now when God came into the world and walked 17:41 in this world, God the God of the universe, the 17:45 living eternal almighty holy God, when He walked 17:49 in this world, He picked out four people to be 17:50 close to Him... four men to be close to Him, four 17:54 men to be His intimates. 17:54 And He made them into fishers of men in spite 17:57 of what they were. How did it end for them? Tradition 18:06 says that cruelty came Peter's way in his death. 18:07 And tradition tells us that he was crucified, but 18:09 before he was crucified he was forced to watch the 18:15 crucifixion of his wife. 18:16 Eusebius writing in his ecclesiastical history 18:21 said - "He stood at the foot of his wife's cross 18:22 and kept repeating to her, úRemember the Lord, 18:29 remember the Lord.' And after she had died, he 18:35 himself was crucified and pleaded to be crucified 18:36 upside down because he was unworthy to die like his 18:42 Lord." Andrew, tradition tells us that Andrew had 18:50 the privilege of preaching in a province and the 18:51 governor's wife received Jesus Christ as her Savior 18:56 and the governor was so upset that he demanded 18:59 that his wife reject Christ and when she 19:00 wouldn't he crucified Andrew. Tradition says 19:05 he crucified him on an X that's why X is the symbol 19:14 of Andrew. An X-shaped cross and the traditional 19:15 history tells us that he was on that cross for two 19:21 days and as he hung alive for all those two days, he 19:26 preached without ceasing the gospel of Christ in 19:27 the midst of his agony. 19:32 Still trying to bring people to Jesus. 19:33 Tradition tells us that James, when he was on 19:37 a way to being beheaded by the Roman sword, had along 19:42 the guard who had guarded him and the guard was so 19:43 impressed with his courage and constancy and zeal 19:49 that he repented of his sin and fell down at the 19:53 Apostle's feet and asked if the Apostle would 19:54 forgive him for the part he had played in the rough 19:58 treatment James received. 19:58 At which point James lifted the man up, 20:02 embraced him kissed him and said - Peace, my son, 20:06 peace to thee. And tradition says immediately 20:07 the officer publicly confessed his surrender to 20:11 Christ and was therefore beheaded along side James. 20:16 John, banished to the isle of Patmos after a long 20:17 life, died around 98 A.D. 20:25 In the power of Christ they were transformed. 20:26 What kind of people does God use? Any kind. Listen 20:35 to this now, it is not what you are, it is what 20:42 you are willing to become that is the issue. The 20:43 fishermen of Galilee did become fishers of men on a 20:48 most extensive scale, and by the help of God they 20:55 gathered many souls into the church. Christ can 20:56 take a very common person and make them a very 21:03 uncommon Apostle. Are you available for that today? 21:15 Take my life and let it be 21:20 Consecrated, Lord, to Thee. 21:26 Take my moments and my days, 21:33 Let them flow in endless praise. 21:38 Let them flow in endless praise. Take my 21:39 hands and let them move 21:55 At the impulse of Thy love. 22:01 Take my feet and let them be 22:07 Swift and beautiful for Thee. 22:13 Swift and beautiful for Thee. 22:19 I am yours, set apart for you. 22:25 I am yours hungry for your truth 22:31 Take my life, you are all I live for. 22:37 I am yours. 22:44 Take my voice and let me sing, 22:50 Always, only for my King. 22:56 Take my lips and let them be 23:02 Filled with messages from Thee, 23:08 Filled with messages from Thee. 23:15 I am yours, set apart for you. 23:21 I am yours hungry for your truth 23:26 Take my life, you are all I live for. 23:33 I am yours. 23:40 Take my will and make it Thine, 23:46 It shall be no longer mine. 23:51 Take my heart, it is Thine own, 23:57 It shall be Thy royal throne, 24:04 It shall be Thy royal throne. 24:11 I am yours, set apart for you. 24:16 I am yours hungry for your truth 24:22 Take my life, you are all I live for. 24:28 I am yours, set apart for you. 24:33 I am yours hungry for your truth 24:39 Take my life, you are all I live for. 24:48 I am yours. 24:54 I am yours. 24:59 I am yours. 25:12 >>Alan: What kind of people can God use? Any 25:13 kind. All we have to do is make ourselves available. 25:17 That mean there is hope for you and me. Pastor 25:22 Bill has written a book, "All the Kings men". It 25:23 includes all the messages in this series. We would 25:27 like to send it to you. 25:28 So here is the information you need to get 25:32 your free copy. 25:36 >>Bill: Well we have come to the end of another It 25:37 Is Written program, let me 26:32 >>Bill: Well we have come to the end of another It 26:33 Is Written program, let me thank you for spending 26:35 this half hour with us, I hope it's not the last 26:40 time. Let me remind you of our web-site - 26:41 www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca - on the web-site all kinds 26:44 of interesting stuff: all of our programs are 26:48 archived there, you can make a donation online to 26:49 keep this ministry going forward, you can find out 26:52 where the It Is Written team will be appearing. 26:55 Check out our youtube channel - 26:56 youtube.com/IIWCanada - and you can follow us on 26:59 twitter. You know we are launching this series on 27:03 the life of the disciples and as we make our way 27:04 through this, we are going to be offering you a study 27:08 guide and a DVD that make for excellent home bible 27:16 study - as we look at the lives of these disciples - 27:17 what God did in the lives of those. If that's 27:20 something that your interested in enquiring, 27:21 we'd be happy to send that to you for a donation 27:22 of $50. We'll send you the DVD, we'll send you the 27:28 study guides, we'll send you the book "All the 27:32 Kings men" also. You can use that in a small group 27:33 or church bible study or on your own. If English is 27:38 not your first language, we have that set also 27:42 available in Portuguese and in Spanish. Check out 27:43 our web-site for details. 27:48 I hope you will be back with us again next week 27:49 Until then remember, it is written, man shall not 27:55 live by bread alone, but by every word the proceeds 28:00 from the mouth of God. 28:05 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2015-02-06