Thomas the Apostle, also called Didymus (meaning twin) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Thomas is famously known as Doubting Thomas. In his case, the doubting implied unbelief primarily because his slowness to believe. In other words, Jesus said it best when he said those who are slow to believe as a foolish man. Christians are able to practice unbelief, not as in no faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but rather is the root of unbelief that remains in the flesh that hides God’s countenance.

The atrocity of remaining in unbelief results in the following:

• Denying Jesus’ sovereignty over death and life
• Denying the reliability of God’s word
• Denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Denying Jesus’ sovereignty over death and life

God’s sovereign plan cannot be thwarted. Under His sovereignty, death is in control according to His timing and will. One of Jesus’ well-known demonstration over death and life is the raising up of Lazarus. Scripture tells us that Lazarus was dead for several days, undergoing decay, but Jesus powerfully raised him up instantaneously. Another example is when the Jews continued to find reason to stone Jesus to death, but He was able to escape as it was not His time yet to die (Jn 11:7-8). Thomas isn’t alone when it comes to minimizing or doubting God’s sovereignty. All of us are susceptible to this temptation; therefore, we must daily meditate on God’s word (Ps. 1:1-2) in order to live a life of repentance resulting in sanctification. Not only did Thomas deny Jesus’ sovereignty, but he also disregarded the words of Jesus.

Denying the reliability of God’s word

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way” (Jn. 14:5)? This questioning, in a way, is challenging Jesus’ words. In the previous verse, Jesus said “You know the way to the place where I am going”. In the Greek, it is in the perfect sense meaning Jesus ‘has known already where he is going”. Therefore, Thomas paid no attention to the words of Jesus. However, hearing and paying attention to God’s word is fundamental to the faith (Rom. 10:16-17). As saving faith comes from hearing through the word about Christ, it implies that we hear, believe and trust in the word of God, and this continues in the believer’s life. Do we believe that God’s word is trustworthy? This is the question Thomas wrestled with. Our answer to this question paints a clear picture of where we stand in our faith.

Scripture itself reveals its reliability.  God’s word states itself as being flawless, pure, and perfect (Prov. 30:5-6; Ps. 12:6). This is the reason why the word of God has the power to save and sanctify. But for those that do not see change reject the word of God. In addition, science also proves the reliability of Scripture as the curse of the Fall is evident in many ways. Further, during Jesus’ time on earth, He quoted the Old Testament countless times and also referencing specific prophets and other people. Although the Bible had already made a myriad mentions of people and places, archeologists continue to confirm one thing after another, furthering evidence of the reliability of God’s word. The only way to defend ourselves against distrust of God’s word is daily meditation and obedience to it. Our attitude must be this way: “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way” (Matt. 26:54)?

Denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ

But the denial of denials Thomas demonstrated was rejecting God’s plan of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Unbelief prevents us from realization that Christians are not tomb dwellers. Resurrection is the highlight of Christianity as it goes hand in hand with dying to self (i.e., dying with Christ and being raised up in Him). Even though Thomas doubted that Jesus indeed rose from the dead and asserted that he had to see for himself, his unbelief turned to true faith in Jesus as he believed in him to be his Savior and God. Unbelief is for tomb dwellers, but those who believe in the risen Lord no longer remain in the tomb. Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Without believing in Christ’s resurrection, we remain in our unbelief and sin. Christ’s message to those that do not believe in his resurrection is to grant peace by offering forgiveness and life.

Do you remain in your unbelief as Thomas was or do you believe that Jesus Christ is risen and seated at the right hand of the Father? Saving faith is rooted in trust of the sovereignty of Christ, trustworthiness of his word, and believing that he is risen and walking with those that believe in him. It is only through Jesus Christ that we are reconciled and have everlasting peace with God.

One of the notable things about the Apostle Matthew is the abrupt and stark change from his former life, which is also highlighted in Luke 5. Matthew, who was also called Levi, shows the supremacy of Jesus through his life change. Coinciding with his own conversion, the Gospel of Matthew focuses on Jesus as the King and the Messiah, for example the genealogy starting at Abraham and centering around King David. Matthew declares that Jesus is the King of the kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew used to have a very unique job before following Jesus. He was a tax collector. In Jesus’ day, tax collector had the worst reputation for a job. They were rich but they were scum. Matthew specifically was part of a group of tax collectors that collected more than they should for their own greed. Tax collectors were traitors who worked for Rome and abused their power against their own people. He was the lowest of the low. He was not allowed in the synagogue and deemed unredeemable (John 9:22).

But there was a sudden change in Matthew. Jesus, the light of the world, entered and transformed the black heart of Matthew. Matthew’s conversion demonstrates the supremacy of Jesus Christ. We see the impact Jesus has on a hopeless life. Jesus alone can change the outcome of our hellbound life. Levi was sitting in the tax booth doing his dirty work (Mark 2:14). In some sense, he was stuck, with no way out because of his job. That is until Jesus came and called to Him. Matthew was addicted to his money and was spiritually dead. Like Jesus did to Lazarus in the tomb, Jesus called out to Matthew (John 11:43).

Jesus is Sufficient
Everyone has a specialty but everyone also has a weakness or shortcoming. To put it plainly, they are insufficient. To cover their insufficiency, man creates religion or philosophy (Colossians 2:8). But no religion or philosophy can overcome man’s insufficiency. Our destiny is still judgement (Hebrews 9:26) We can pretend or try really hard but we will always end up short because our sin is real. We are under the wrath of God, but it is Jesus who covered our insufficiency with His blood as a propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:23-25). God’s wrath was satisfied by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. This was proven by His resurrection by which we know we are fully justified (Romans 4:25). Jesus offers what we need most, grace for our sin (John 1:14). It is by the gospel of grace we receive the blessing of Christ. God is well-pleased with His Son, therefore Jesus and His gospel are completely sufficient for our salvation.

Those who know the gospel will know that self is the enemy. By the gospel, we deny ourself and we love God. This is why we always repent. Repentance is not a sad or bad thing for a Christian. Repentance is actually our means to grow (Galatians 2:20) in our faith.

Jesus is Preeminent
Before Jesus called Matthew, Matthew loved money. The world values money because money provides self worth and power. Money’s influence over man is so strong that even until the very last day people will be consumed by money (Rev 18:3). In Mark 2:15, Matthew shows two aspects of Jesus’ superiority. First, after following Christ, Matthew spends his money for Christ by holding a large gathering for many people to come and see Jesus. His joy was not in his wealth but in Christ and so he uses it for his new master (Matthew 6:24). Matthew knew Jesus is better and worth more than his wealth or anything else. (Hebrews 13:4).

Secondly, Matthew believes Jesus is holy God (Matthew 26:63-65, John 20:28). Jesus was sinless and completely fulfilled the law, unlike no man. Since Jesus is God, we must worship Him. Do you really worship Jesus? Ask yourself, what do you pursue, what worries you, what gives you joy? Worship is giving to God what is rightfully His. We can worship Jesus by being thankful. We are thankful to God for His many good deeds but chiefly for our salvation. All other blessings in life are extra but to be thankful in all circumstances we must be thankful for our salvation, which is our sincere worship to the Lord. Our thankful worship enables trusting Jesus when we are in distress. When things go bad, we must hold on to Christ. Instead of blaming God, we bow down in worship before Him. Worship is also praising God. Praise is hard work. As long as a Christian has breath, they sing to the Lord. It doesn’t matter if it’s out of tune but we sing with our heart which pleases the Lord.

Jesus is Central
To Matthew, Jesus is central. Matthew held the party for one person, Jesus. Matthew emphasizes the centrality of Jesus in Matthew 17:3-6. Moses and Elijah are important but God focuses on Jesus. This is because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Our salvation is up to Christ and no one else. He is at the center of our lives and all of history. Whatever happens, Jesus is central. If you understand this then God will be larger and your circumstance becomes smaller. Therefore consider Jesus as Lord and follow Him. He is in control and in command (Acts 9:6). Jesus is your Lord when you practice obedience and follow Him.

To clarify, simply a better understanding is not worship, but a better understanding with the view of Jesus as Lord is true worship. If Jesus is sufficient, superior and central in your life then you know Jesus. If you know Jesus then you must share Jesus with the world.

Nathanael is the sixth disciple Jesus chose when He began his earthly ministry. Nathanael (Greek name meaning “God has given” or “gift of God”) was also known as Bartholomew (Aramaic name – meaning son of Talmai).

Certainty is very important especially when it is accompanied by faith. After Philip started following Jesus, he found Nathanael and shared the gospel with Nathanael that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah with absolute certainty (v 45). Although Philip was undoubtedly firm in his faith, Nathanael had his doubts that anything good can come out of Nazareth (v 46). Anyone’s name associated with Nazareth was a derogatory term because of its insignificance, especially having anything to do with the prophesied Messiah.

Nathanael’s response is met with his own prejudice as a fellow Galilean. He lived in the town of Cana in the region of Galilee. It is widely known that Judeans despised Galileans, but even Galileans themselves despised those from the village of Nazareth. Despite Nathanael’s relationship with Philip, his first response hearing about Jesus is deterred by this prejudice. Another deterrence was due to his ignorance of Scripture. Ignorance of the Word makes God little, but the more we read and treasure the word of God, God becomes larger and more apparent. So, we see that prejudice and ignorance prevents Nathanael from believing in Jesus.

After Nathanael met with Philip, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit’ (v 47)! Nathanael was surprised because Jesus knew him better than himself. Jesus knew exactly who Nathanael was and even saw him even before Philip called him. In other words, Jesus knew him already because he was one of the elect (Eph. 1:4). God’s election is what allows believers to have assurance of their faith. This certainty comes with full conviction and power by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:4-5). Certainty comes from knowing the Lord personally and action that follows suit.

Nathanael’s response to Jesus is, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel” (v 49). Nathanael immediately believes that Jesus is God and Lord. Certainty about Jesus is believing that He is God and Lord in the heart. This assurance of who Jesus is enables us to apply our faith in Him under all circumstances. As God and King, Christians are sure of one thing; that is, to surrender and obey Him no matter what. And it is only by certainty of knowing who Christ is and believing in Him that we are able to put Him above all else.

Nathanael was a man of uncertainty that comes around to believe that Jesus is the Lord by the power of the gospel. Nathanael, a changed man from the inside out, is now known as the apostle of certainty because his faith in the Lord was sure (v 49). Do we also have this kind of assurance of faith that is fixed on Jesus Christ and the gospel? It is the certainty of faith gifted by the Holy Spirit that propels a Christian into a life of obedience and sharing the gospel to others that they might also receive the gospel with the full assurance witnessed in Nathanael’s life.

Philip is a Greek name which means ‘one who loves horses’, but unlike his name, Philip was a fisherman like Peter and the others. Interestingly, his Greek name does suggest that Philip was heavily influenced by Greeks in Jerusalem and their world views. He was close to the other disciples Peter, James, John and Andrew and initially followed John the Baptist. The gospel of John is the only one of the four gospels that mentions Philip. In John 1:43, Philip follows Jesus after Jesus teaches and shares the gospel with him. Today we will see three key mistakes that Philip makes due to his pragmatism, which can be attributed to his Greek influence and earthly philosophy.

One thing that must be emphasized from the beginning is that Philip the Apostle was a genuine believer. In John 1:45, just two verses after Jesus said to follow Him, Philip was full of conviction and sure of who Jesus was. He confidently declares to Nathan, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!”. However, being a believer and a great start doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of your walk will be the same. Christians can be genuine and believing while also being a work in progress, this process being called sanctification.

Due to certain reasons or circumstances there can be some impurities mixed into a believer’s faith, and frequently it is pragmatism. Pragmatism is not biblical and very harmful. The church in America may have seemed strong on the outside due its pragmatism but on the inside it is rotten and weak. How can you tell? Look at how the church responded to COVID-19 and the lockdown. The churches crumbled to the mandates of the governments, reacted with fear and panic instead of strength and faith. Now a year later, the members don’t come back, churches are shutting down, and the world is telling the church what to believe instead of the church sharing the salvation of Christ. This is due to pragmatism.

Pragmatism is a philosophy most easily summarized by the phrase “whatever works”. The central idea of pragmatism is that truth is proved by whether or not the idea in question “works,” meaning it produces the expected or desired results. As it turns out, however, pragmatism itself “does not work,” and so it needs to be viewed with considerable skepticism… Christians cannot follow both pragmatism and the Bible. Scripture indicates that truth is not defined by our experiences or our opinions… What ‘works’ for us in our limited human minds, in the end, is not necessarily what’s true or what ‘works’ from an eternal perspective. – Beckwith

Pragmatism always looks at the result, not the means. This is not how God works. For example, in Luke 8:22-23 Jesus planned them to cross the lake but they encountered a storm! Pragmatism would have determined that crossing the lake was not the will of God because the storm was blocking their way. Of course it was the will of God because it was what Jesus commanded them to do.

Pragmatism takes many forms, such as materialism. Its ways are always earth bound and worldly. Pragmatism asks how can we get the outward result we want in the most efficient or effective way. This is mostly applied to church growth and engagement and accomplished through topical sermons or entertaining programs. The Bible says the church grows by prayer and the word. It is sad to see what is happening in the church today. There’s so many personal opinions being championed instead of God’s truth.

So why is pragmatism so bad? Pragmatism belittles and discounts faith. It says find the practical solution instead of overcoming by faith. They replace the high spiritual principles of loving by faith with human solutions. Christians must be people of faith first! Faith must be our first response to any problem or need. For example, in John 6:5-7 Jesus particularly focuses on Philip because He knows Philip’s heart. Jesus tests Philip by presenting this impossible situation of feeding thousands of people. Philip’s response is completely pragmatic, saying they need 200 denarii. In contrast, Andrew brings a small meal seeing if Jesus could do anything. While there is an earthly way to feed all of them, the believer turns to Christ in faith to seek the Lord’s will.

Similarly, do you know God tests you every day? He doesn’t tempt but he tests. He wants to see if you are faithful. If you are not faithful you’ve fallen to temptation. If you are faithful then you’ve been faithful through the test (Genesis 2:17). To be faithful we must know who God is. God says ‘I am’. He is the self-existent God. We can take refuge in Him. We can trust Him because He is Immanuel (God with us). Faith needs wisdom. Faith needs prayer. These three together work effectively to overcome trials (James 1:2-3,5)

Faith is not blind or ignorant, because Christians live by revelation. We have the written Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit. We read, we study and we hold fast to the promises of God. We must be like the Apostle Paul, while in the storm when they are about to be shipwrecked, Paul declares he believes what he’s been told from God and by his words, the rest of the crew are saved from drowning (Acts 27:25). Paul was not a sailor or a meteorologist but he held on to God’s word. This is how we practice faith. Whatever your situation, big or small, be encouraged to go through by faith in God’s word.

Pragmatism also belittles the gospel. Pragmatism finds other solutions to the problems only the gospel can solve. Do you believe the gospel is enough? Do you really believe that what we need most is Jesus Christ? Think of the dying cancer patient, do they need Christ or the best doctor? Philip failed to realize that gospel is enough. In John 12:20-21, some Greeks came up to Philip because they wanted to see Jesus. There were lots of Greeks in Jerusalem and some of them were even God-fearing. They wanted to see Jesus because they had a curiosity or perhaps a desire for salvation (Acts 16:30). How did Philip respond? He went to Andrew and they both went to Jesus. Why did Philip not share the gospel with them directly? In contract, Jesus responded to the Greeks with the gospel. Philip, too, could have shared the message of salvation. Instead, he was pragmatic and was waiting for opportunity instead of leading with the gospel.

Are you ashamed of the gospel? Do you turn to other means before the gospel. Whatever situation, in all circumstances, what we need most is the gospel. We cannot mumble the gospel. We must make it clear as can be. We preach the gospel of Jesus who died and rose again on the third day for the salvation of sinners (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It is the most important and powerful thing in our lives. We have been called to share it. The pragmatic is the coward who is ashamed of it.

Finally, pragmatism denigrates Jesus. How do you treat Jesus in your daily life? Is Jesus at the forefront of your work or is Jesus relegated only to Sundays and church gatherings. This is what pragmatic Philip did. He said to Jesus, Lord show us the Father and it is enough for us (John 14:8). In essence, Philip said that seeing is believing which was a very Greek-like thought supported by Aristotle. Like the people mocking Jesus as he hung on the cross, they wanted proof in order to believe (Mark 15:32). They belittle the words and work of Christ. This is not true faith.

How did Jesus respond? How long have I been with you (John 14:9)? Just being at church a long time doesn’t mean your faith is strong and true. Jesus says I am the Father and I am in the Father and the Father is in me. He is God on earth in the flesh. After all the miracles, how can Philip not know who Jesus is? He did so many miracles over three years to prove who He is God. The Trinity is perfect union of God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Not only is Jesus God but one with the Father. If you don’t believe His words, believe his works. Believe His miracles, His atoning death, His triumphant resurrection, His complete work of salvation. Jesus is sufficient. If you are pragmatic then you deny his sufficiency and try to replace or supplement the work of His salvation.

In conclusion, repent if you put faith in something else besides Jesus. Being pragmatic is not wise or faithful. It chooses the earthly over the Biblical. We follow only one person, that is Jesus Christ. We practice faith, we believe the gospel and we trust in Christ.

John 13:34 – I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

In today’s text, we explore the person and faith of the Apostle John. Apart from the Apostle Paul, who wrote 13 books in the New Testament, John wrote the second most books in the Bible: the dominant theme being God’s love. Three major loves of John were for Jesus, the truth, and the church.

The Apostle John’s love for Jesus Christ
John’s love and affection for Jesus was clear and it is no wonder that he was known as the disciple whom Jesus loved (Jn. 13:23). The scene played out for us in Luke 6 describes the intimacy between John and Jesus. The context demonstrated the contrast between John and Judas who would betray Jesus. Another example of John’s love for Jesus is shown at the news of Jesus disappearing from his tomb (Jn. 20:4). John and Peter were the first to run towards the tomb, John outrunning Peter, which implies his passion and interest in the Lord. Further, even though the risen Lord looked different in his outer appearance, John is the first disciple to realize it is Jesus when He appears before the disciples by the sea (Jn. 21:7). John’s love for Jesus was superior to his love for anyone else because he believed in his heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Jn. 20:31).

Do we love Jesus in the same way John demonstrated? Do we personally recognize Jesus is God and love him with a supreme love having believed (Phil. 3:7-8)? In other words, do we have value and treasure Christ above all else? Love for Christ is following and obeying Him as a result of treasuring the Lord in our hearts.

The Apostle John’s love for truth
John emphasized love and truth in his writings. John learned truth from Jesus as He was full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14b). The best way Jesus showed grace and truth was showing who God the Father was, the law, and His atonement (i.e., Jesus’ death on the cross – propitiation of our sins). Jesus, being God, is the truth and clearly stated, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6). As John loved Jesus, he loved truth. We, too, must love God and love truth. Truth is the difference between salvation and perishing. Therefore, Christians must stand up for the truth at all costs for the glory of God and the gospel of Christ.

The Apostle John’s love for the church
The third major love that is evident in John’s life and his writings is his love for the church. John loved the church as he showed his love to the church by commanding them to love Christ above all. John instructed the church to love God, not love the world or the things in the world, and to demonstrate their love for God in a life of ongoing obedience and sanctification.

Biblical love is not sentimental, but it is rather willingness. Therefore, the church should grow in love for the Lord and one another. Of the many ‘one another’ commands Jesus gave to the church; love is supreme as the church was built on love. The way church members love each other is the way Christ loved. Jesus’ love was ongoing, practical and unconditional. Christians are able to love the way Jesus loved because the Spirit enables us to do so.

What drove John to love Christ, truth and the church? “We love because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19)”. Without Jesus no one knows what love is.  God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him for us all (Rom. 8:32). What we can take away from John’s life revealed in the pages of Scripture is that he kept on loving until the very end.

What is Christian zeal? Zeal is eagerness or desire for something and for a Christian, that one thing is to please God. The Apostle James demonstrated to the fullest a zeal for our Lord that we should all try to mimic.

Like some of the other apostles, James was also a fisherman. We also can assume he had connections with Jewish elite, possibly through his fishing business, which he used to help Peter get into the court of the trial. The sons of Zebedee, James and John were Jesus’ cousins and were very close to him. An example of their closeness, their mom even lobbied to have James and John sit at the right hand of Jesus.

The Zeal of James

In the New Testament, there are three men named James. James the lesser, James the brother of Jesus and the apostle James, also called James the greater. James was a passionate man and it showed in moments like wanting to sit at the right of Jesus and claiming to be able to drink the cup he drinks, meaning they were willing to go anywhere with Jesus (Mark 10:25-39). Also in Luke 9:54 James shows why he is called a son of thunder, as he is so upset at the Samaritans for not allowing Jesus to pass through, that he asks if he can call down fire from heaven to destroy them. He was fiery and full of emotion. Again in Mark 13:3 you see James is with Peter, John and Andrew asking Jesus questions throughout the night about what is to come. Finally, James zeal can be summed up in Acts 12:1-2 where James became a martyr. Herod was a new ruler and he wanted to appeal to the Jews, so he was imprisoning the Christians, which the Jews hated because the was growing by the grace of God. Out of all them, James was chosen as the example and executed by the sword. James was chosen because he was most likely the most active and full of passion. They didn’t choose Peter or John, but James was chosen because of his zeal.

The Zeal of Christ

Every Christian must have the same DNA of Jesus Christ, meaning we should follow His example, should we have the same passion He had. The week before He died on the cross is called Passion Week. What Jesus did and went through demonstrates His unending zeal for God the Father and His will. The disciples rightly connected Psalm 69 to Jesus when He cleansed the temple. (John 2:17) Jesus cared so much about the Father and His house. We must not forget the justice and wrath of God. Oftentimes, we only remember the love of God but God is full of justice and anger towards sin. He is an active and violent God towards evil. Jesus fervently desired to obey God even at the cost of his life. (Luke 22:42)

Why is passion so important?

Without passion nothing will happen. Without passion we cannot bear fruit. The Christian life is not about waiting around. The church is not a hotel waiting for guests. To save the lost, Christians must be active and action is preceded by passion. Apostle Paul was also passionate and labored tirelessly to spread the gospel across the world. (Acts 20:24)

The father of modern missions, William Carey was not an educated man yet he worked diligently to translate the Bible into different local languages while ministering in India. After 20 years, a fire happened that destroyed all 20 years of their work. He wrote “We are not discouraged; indeed the work is already begun again in every language. We are cast down but not in despair.” Such passion for the Lord’s work. John Macarthur said, “If I have to choose between a man of burning, flaming, passionate, enthusiasm with a potential for failure on the one hand, and a cold compromiser on the other hand, I will take the man with passion every time.” Passion is so important for the Christian. Without it, we would despair, we would be stagnant and we would not obey.

Where does passion come from?

First, you must know God. Knowing God will never make you silent. In Psalm 18:1-2, we see how David knew God as His strength and fortress. This is how David was able to go out and fight against Goliath after he heard the insults Goliath made against god. The apostles remembered who God is and how Jesus rose from the dead just as He said he would (John 2:22). They knew God and so they passionately obeyed.

Second, you must know what is most valuable in your life. Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-8,12 “But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ” We don’t realize what’s most valuable and cling on to what’s not valuable. Instead we must hold on to Jesus Christ who is the most valuable. Nothing and no one is superior to Jesus. He must consume and is worthy of our pursuit.

Thirdly, you must know the gospel. The gospel is what we are the most proud of (Romans 1:16). Before the gospel, we used to be proud of our selves and our lives but there’s nothing to be proud of because it’s all wicked and hopeless. We are proud of the Gospel because it is the power of God for salvation. The gospel is the only way for people to be saved.

People excuse themselves from being passionate and sharing the gospel. They claim they are introverted. But sharing the gospel is not about personality but knowing who you are and who God is. The gospel is exciting because by the gospel we have been changed from death to life. A Christian never tires of the gospel until the day we die. I believe therefore I speak (2 Corinthians 4:12). It is silly to think that the gospel can overcome your sin and death and give you eternal life but can’t overcome your shyness. The Gospel not only comes in word but in power and conviction.

One more thing you must know is that you will be rewarded. Hebrews 12:2 Jesus also knew that there was joy after the crucifixion. Same with apostle Paul (Philippians 3:14). There is a prize at the end of the race. To know there is a reward fuels our passion.\

Wrong passion

Not all passion is good. Sometimes passion goes without wisdom and that can be dangerous. Passion without compassion can be brutal. Passion with ignorance can be blind, like the Pharisees. (Romans 10:1-3). Our passion must have God’s word at the center. Only then can it be truly for the Lord and not for ourselves. Therefore submit to God’s word under the grace of God and by the grace of God your passion will grow (1 Corinthians 15:10). When you follow the Word of God, you grow closer to Christ and receive grace which sustains and nourishes our passion.

Conclusion

Jesus already warned us 2000 years ago what would happen to the church, that it would lose its passion. The church of Laodicea is very similar to the 21st century American church, like them, we are lukewarm. Jesus is standing outside the church but he should be in the church, within the center, at the head of the church (Revelation 3:20). He has been pushed outside, therefore there is no zeal. Jesus says, “Therefore be zealous and repent” because He still loves you. (Revelation 3:19). We must look at the church in North Korea, China, Libya and other countries where Christians are active. Even under persecution, they have so much passion, because without it they would not survive. We must look at the early church. They met together constantly, praying for one another and then going out to share the gospel. That’s how churches can grow today.

CH Spurgeon’s testimony regarding a faithful woman of faith, who served the Lord and the church faithfully, was unknown to most because she was faithful in the small things. In the same manner, Andrew, one of the Twelve, was similar to this woman in many ways but mostly because he was faithful unbeknownst to most. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter.  He was “bold decisive and deliberate. Nothing about him is feeble or wimpish. He was driven by a hearty passion for the truth, and he was willing to subject himself to the most extreme kinds of hardship and austerity in pursuit of that objective” (John MacArthur). His name means manly. His manliness was defined in his work as a fisherman prior to becoming Jesus’ disciple. He would transfer his manliness from fishing to being faithful in his service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Before Andrew followed Christ, he was a disciple of John the Baptist. Being a disciple of John, he fully understood repentance and demonstrated true conversion when he became a disciple of Christ. Andrew also had a deep understanding of the gospel that was fulfilled in Jesus as he was the long-awaited Messiah and Lamb of God. As a demonstration of his true conversion to Christ, Andrew’s faithfulness resulted in much fruit especially in his boldness to preach the gospel, trust in Christ and thankfulness.

Andrew’s faithfulness was shown in his evangelism.
In Scripture, Andrew was characterized in bringing people to faith in Christ. His conviction of the gospel made it the highest priority to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as he can. His conviction led to his repentance and faith in the Lord, and the same conviction directed him to preach Christ. Andrew was a great example of not withholding the gospel from anyone he met in his life jut as the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 9:16). What Andrew and Paul shared was possessing a sense of urgency when sharing the gospel; therefore, they shared the gospel as often and to as many as possible. What these two also had in common was their personal holiness that naturally led them to be intimate with Christ and preaching Christ to all. The duty of the disciple is not to convert sinners, but to share the gospel to the lost.

Andrew’s faithfulness to trust Christ in all circumstances.
No matter the circumstance, Andrew trusted in the Lord Jesus. An example of this we see in Scripture is when Jesus fed the large crowd with just five barley loaves and two fish. Andrew believed that Jesus could make more out of the few food they had to sufficiently feed the hungry crowd. In other words, Andrew’s faith did not see limitations because he understood Jesus was God in flesh in whom all things were possible.

Andrew’s faithfulness and gratitude in small matters.
Andrew was exemplary in his faithfulness of the little things that God entrusted him with (Lk. 16:10-11). Why was he this way? He understood God paid attention to the very little things for his pleasure (Lk 19:16). God even considered Israel to be his people in the O.T. because they were few (Deut. 7:7).  The omnipotent God fulfilled his purposes throughout history and will continue to do so no matter how small or insignificant they might be.

God loves the small things because more often than not, the Lord sees the faith of people and not what is on the outside (Lk. 21:4; Rom. 14:23). In the Old Testament, we know the story when God used David when he went against the great Goliath (1 Sam. 17:17). God is pleased with those that deal with faith even in the direst circumstances because he will deliver them because of their faith in him.Therefore, as exemplified in Andrew’s life of humility and faithfulness we, too, must be humble and faithful in our obedience and passion for the gospel all the while trust in the Lord alone with a heart of thanksgiving.

Introduction

We begin a series covering the twelve disciples of Jesus. Jesus’ disciples are different from other famous teachers who had disciples, such as Socrates, Mohammed or Buddha. They chose their disciples based on their qualifications or potential. At the very least their disciples could read. However the twelve disciples were kind of hopeless in their own way, ranging from fisherman to a zealot. In fact, Jesus knew that one would even betray him, yet he chose them (John 6:70).

One key difference between Jesus’ disciples and everyone else is that the other religions are always added more to their teachings over time. Jesus and his disciples never changed the gospel message and it is the same today as it was 2000 years ago. (Ephesians 3:19) This is because every other teacher fails to address the core problem of man, sin. Socrates’ and Buddha’ teaching cannot save you from your sin, which is why they need to keep getting updated. Jesus says you don’t have to add anything but just simply tell them about me and what I commanded. (Acts 1:8, Mt 28:19-20) Jesus says to be saved you must be born again. (John 3:3) He led people correctly to God the Father. Jesus knew man is a sinner and they are hopeless. Peter was one of them and was chosen.

Who is Peter?

Outside of Jesus, Peter is the most mentioned person in the gospels. The Gospel of Mark is essentially Mark recording Peter’s teaching on Jesus. Peter was not originally named Peter but Simon (John 1:42). The name ‘Peter’ is Greek, while ‘Cephas’ is Aramaic, which means ‘rock’. Jesus prophetically renamed Peter three years before Jesus says that Peter is the rock on which He will build His church when Peter confesses that Jesus is the Son of God.

Peter was married and was very close to his wife. She helped him throughout his life, most notably she helped him build the church in Antioch. Peter was also a very devoted fisherman. (Luke 5:5) In general, there are lots of adjectives to describe Peter and his actions recorded in the New Testament. Overall, Peter was like us, sometimes Simon, sometimes Peter.

Three Characteristics of Peter

Repentance

As a believer, Peter was a man of repentance. Before going to the cross, Jesus had cautioned Peter but Peter boasted about his loyalty. The result was his betrayal of Jesus by denying Him in front of a little girl. However, Peter repented. (Matthew 26:75) Repenting is a hallmark of a Christian. Repentance is turning from sin, from idols and from darkness and turning into the light and into God. As Christians, while we are on earth not yet glorified, we are in the process of sanctification. We must admit that we sin every day so we should be repenting every day. As Martin Luther said, “Repent; he called for the entire life of believers to be one of penitence”. Once saved, always repenting.

Peter’s repentance was genuine because he remembered what Jesus said. Jesus admonished the church to remember. (Revelation 2:5) To truly repent when you sin, you must remember God’s word. ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17) Without the word of God, we would not know what our sin is and would not be able to repent of it. By the Word, we are also convicted in our hearts of our sin, when otherwise we would deceive ourselves. (1 Samuel 12:7,13) In order for God’s word to be effective towards repentance, you must meditate on it and ask yourself, “How does this passage point me to Christ and what should I do?”. Repentance does not begin with a guilty emotion but instead a remembering of God’s word.

After remembering, it says Peter went out. He left the scene of the sin, which indicates that he started bearing fruit of repentance. Repentance is not genuine until we act. John Calvin said, “Repentance is an inward matter, which has its seat in the heart and soul, but afterwards yields its fruits in a change of life.” Peter fled and wept bitterly as an expression of the godly sorrow in his heart. Until we too have this sort of bitterness and sorrow towards sin, we are not serious about our faith yet.

Humility

Peter is notorious for not being a humble man. He even rebuked Jesus! (Matthew 16:22) Imagine trying to scold God Incarnate. That takes a certain level of pride. He also boasted about his loyalty saying he would follow Jesus to death even if others left, claiming he was the most loyal among the other disciples. (Matthew 26:33)

The sin of pride is extremely deceitful and powerful. Spurgeon claimed after death pride would be second to be destroyed. However we see how much Peter changed, in 1 Peter 5:6, he shares from his own past sin and experience why young men should humble themselves. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to humble. Opposed means organized resistance. We don’t want to be miserable Christians facing God’s opposition. So we need to be humble because when we are humble God gives grace. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Peter Masters says, “Humility makes much of Christ, standing amazed at him, and in deep admiration. Whenever his works and attributes are extolled in worship, humility truly marvels and praises him.’ Christ Himself is the prime example of humility (Philippians 2:8). Between King David and King Saul what was the difference? Externally they were similar, handsome, warriors, and kings. The difference was David was a man after God’s own heart, he was humble to obey God. (Acts 13:22 ) Peter makes his final request to the church to ‘grow in the grace of God and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (2 Peter 3:18) Peter was no longer prideful but humble and desired the church to be humble as well.

Courage

Peter has many examples of an initial display of courage but eventually caving to fear. Peter was walking on the water but started sinking and cried out for help and he declared his loyalty, then denied Jesus before a little girl. In Acts 5:29 we see the new Peter who was resolute to obey God rather than fear men even after being thrown into prison. In Acts 10:23-24, Peter braved going against Jewish social norms by staying with Cornelius who was a Gentile. Also in Acts 12:7 Peter is in prison and facing a potential execution, and yet he is sleeping so deeply the angel had to forcefully wake him up.

What changed that gave Peter courage? Peter was always filled with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 4:7-8) We too have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us but it is another matter to be filled. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be controlled, to constantly be under God’s Word. This is what the church needs today. The church has grown weak. The early church turned the Roman empire upside down because it had the courage of Christ while being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Eventually Peter was crucified upside down as he sought to obey Christ rather than men. He was a true disciple of Jesus. His example of repentance, humility and courage brings Christianity to life.

In Scripture, discipleship is often illustrated where Christians are the branches that have complete dependence on the Vine (i.e. Christ). Thus, the converted that remain in Christ are able to bear fruit through a life of discipleship. And an important aspect to making disciples is prayer as exemplified by Christ as he communed with the Father to pray for his disciples. In the same manner, disciples of Christ are to follow Christ in making disciples through fervent prayer to God.

The prayer of Jesus makes a disciple

Jesus is a man of prayer as emphasized often times in the gospel according to Luke. Jesus intentionally set aside time for prayer and he often went off to the nearest mountain (Mk. 1:35-36). Jesus focused on the importance of prayer for preparation and success of his ministry. It begs the question why Jesus, who is the Son of God, had to pray and prayed as often as he did. As Christ emptied Himself when he took on flesh, he became like a servant of God.  From the time of Christ’s incarnation, he submitted to the Father to learn obedience through prayer. Jesus exemplified that prayer and obedience went hand in hand.

“and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” When it came to choosing the twelve disciples, Jesus prayed throughout the night as he knew the church would be built through them following his resurrection and ascension.

The calling of Jesus makes a disciple

Jesus called the twelve disciples to himself a year before his crucifixion. During the two previous years, Jesus had called many disciples to himself, but he specifically called the twelve by name to be his disciples and apostles.

All Christians are disciples as we are called by Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Being a Christian is our nature and being a disciple is lived out in action through faith and obedience. In other words, becoming a Christian implies conversion whereas becoming a disciple implies sanctification. Faith (conversion) without works (discipleship) is dead (Jas. 2:26).

Obedience is a hallmark of Christianity and Jesus exemplified his perfect obedience even until the point of death. Jesus’ love and trust of the Father allowed him to submit and obey. Therefore, those that love and trust Christ will also obey to the end. “Real faith results in obedience. True faith is never seen as passive – it is always obedient” (John MacArthur).

As the Holy Spirit enables the sinner to repent and believe in Christ for salvation, it is the same Spirit that dwells with each believer that enables to obey leading to sanctification.

The commission of Jesus makes a disciple

Jesus also commissions his disciples. What Christ commissioned to the twelve is the same for all Christians when it comes to making disciples. The Great Commission is the Christian’s commission and duty to obey. Christ is the prototype of a disciple of who submitted to the Father’s will in making disciples.

Therefore, we must at fervently pray for evangelism that leads to discipleship. Every disciple is involved in discipleship as an ongoing mission in this side of glory. And the only way to grow in our passion for discipleship is a life that cultivates the gospel of Christ through diligent communion with the Lord through studying the word and prayer.

Introduction

Jesus is again in the midst of a controversy centered around the Sabbath. This is because there is a fundamental difference between the true Sabbath given by God and the tradition of the Pharisees. The Pharisees demanded that a person do absolutely nothing in order to not break the law. Unless it was an emergency, don’t do anything. Jesus, on the other hand, says that you should be active and do good on the Sabbath.

There’s another question that’s related to the Sabbath which is “As Christians do we keep the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day?” One thing is for sure, whether the Sabbath or the Lord’s day, it is an important command from the Lord and a failure to keep the Lord’s Day is a leading cause to the lack of distinction in the modern church and the weak Christianity that is so common. We must strive to make the Lord’s Day alive again.

The Lord’s Day

God established the Lord’s Day in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 2:1-3, it says God completed His work. On the seventh day, God stopped working and rested. This is the beginning of the Sabbath and also the best picture to know the purpose. In Exodus 16:17-30, we see again that God commands the nation of Israel to not gather on the seventh day. In Exodus 20, the Sabbath is the fourth commandment written in God’s Law and explained because God had rested in Genesis 2. All through the Old testament through the generations, the purpose and essence of Sabbath has never changed. The Sabbath is about rest that God has given. The Israelites failed as a people of God when they failed to keep the Sabbath properly. Noticeably, when the Israelites failed to uphold the Sabbath, it was they were turning to idols. Jesus even accused the Pharisees of turning the Sabbath itself into an idol (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath is more than just a day of the week but a key part in our relationship with the Lord.

As Christians we observe the Lord’s Day on Sunday instead of Saturday. While the form has changed, the principle and purpose has not. Now, we must be careful and realize that this is not a change to God’s law. We would be like the Pharisees if we made God’s law what into something it isn’t. The Lord’s day is not a man-made tradition outside of God’s word, but a new tradition Jesus established with His resurrection. It was on Sunday, Mary met the risen Lord (John 20:1). The early church gathered together on Sunday (Acts 20:7). Historically, Sunday worship was a common practice in the early church, even before 300 AD. Even Jesus says he came to fulfill, not abolish the law (Matthew 5:17). In the new covenant, we don’t keep the Sabbath, but the Lord’s Day.

The Sabbath is for rest

Between Jesus and the Pharisees, they both agreed that the Sabbath is for rest. However, the conflict is about how to rest. In the Pharisee’s system, rest was defined by a strict external standard. In denying the incorrect definition of Sabbath, Jesus is also establishing the Lord’s Day based on the original Sabbath. Just as new wine does not belong in old wineskins, Jesus is saying his words and his work does not belong in the traditional Sabbath. By His authority as Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus is establishing the Lord’s Day (Luke 6:5).

While the Pharisees are focused on legalism, Jesus is focused on God’s grace. Using the example of King David, Jesus who is greater than David, is restoring the true Sabbath (Acts 2:29-32). So Jesus asks, “I ask you whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” He answers His own question by doing good works and saving lives. This is the true purpose of the Lord’s day: to do good works and to save a life.

Four things to do on the Lord’s Day

• Stop our normal work. We must completely cease from our regular jobs (Exodus 20:10). God stopped and enjoyed the work of creation. This is not a ‘do and don’t’ but a blessed principle that God takes pleasure in and brings us joy in Him (Isaiah 58:13).
• Keep the Lord’s Day holy (Exodus 20:8). Holy means set apart, distinctive, and different from the world. This is why we come to church and worship the risen Lord. We must be diligent to prioritize Sunday corporate worship to participate and enjoy the fellowship in the body of Christ.
• Help others. Like Jesus, we pursue good works, especially towards those who need our help. We practice acts of mercy. This helping others doesn’t come at the sacrifice of worshipping the Lord but in conjunction. Jesus himself showed how he healed and helped others on the Sabbath for the glory of God.
• Avoid doing anything unnecessary on Sunday. Examples could be homework or chores around the house. If there are no personal obligations, then we can reserve the time on Sunday to serve the Lord. This will also push us to be more diligent on weekdays.

An avoidable absence from church is an infallible evidence of spiritual decay -Frances Ridely Havergal

The Lord’s day is of great importance to the Christian and to the Church. Let us strive to keep our worship distraction free. Be thoughtful about your observance of the Lord’s Day, prepare yourself and plan ahead. There are many fruitful things to do: spend time reading God’s word or reviewing the sermon, building relationships with the brethren, going out to evangelize, helping others, or even exercise and catching up on sleep.

God wants to bless you on the Lord’s Day. But if we treat that day without the proper attitude, then we cannot expect anything. Too many Christians mistreat Sunday and restrict God to only the time of worship service. It is no wonder that today’s Christians are no different from the world.

Conclusion

After Jesus healed the man, the Jews were furious. As sons of Satan, the Pharisees, hated Jesus’ way of observing the Sabbath. It shows that there are two ways of observing the Lord’s Day but only one was loved by God. We too must avoid an incorrect view of the Sabbath, or else be in danger of hating the true Sabbath. Currently, there are two extreme views that are wrong. The liberal view which says the individual can keep the Sabbath, the Christian is free and can worship anywhere without restrictions. This is false because Sunday worship is meant to be corporate. The believer has every other day for individual worship but on Sunday the Church gathers to worship together. This side tends to be worldly. On the other extreme there are those who observe too strictly, with regulations and restrictions. Like the Pharisees, they focus on the external and try to enforce it.

The solution is not a balance between the two extremes, but a renewed heart. What we need is a heart full of love for the Lord and a life of obedience brought by grace. This is what Jesus gave as an example, which expresses His desire for us. This has been missing from the American church. It is a failure in our sanctification. We are comfortable in our sinfulness, when we should be submitting to God’s word, especially concerning our complacent attitudes towards the Lord’s day. May we repent and enjoy the blessing of the Lord’s day.