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In in Matthew chapter 10, Jesus names or rather the disciples are named, the 12 disciples are named this.

In verse 2, it says, these are the names of the 12 possible, Possils. First, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother, Andrew James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John and Philip and Bartolomeu and Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector, and James, the son of Elpheus and Thaddeus, and Simon the zealot and Judith Escariot, who betrayed him. And from that point, particularly in Matthew chapter 10, Jesus is is training up these men. He he takes them on. He trains them to be fishers of men.

In order to go into the world. He's already training them up for that big, great commission. The great commission isn't sort of something that happened at the end of Matthew that Jesus sort of stuck on the end and thought, oh, I better just say something about that. He's already training them, getting them to think in that line. And we're told the way he trained them is that he called people to himself, So Mark says, he appointed 12 that they might be with him, that they might be with him, and then he might send them to preach.

And that's the great training strategy of Jesus. He didn't actually send these men to to college or even theological college. He didn't do that. The big thing is that they might be with him. And then what he did was, he he did ministry.

He showed it as an example. He did ministry and then download it. If you see him in Matthews, he's doing this. He's doing ministry, and then he's speaking about it, and he's explaining it, and he's teaching from it. And then from Matthew 10 onwards, he sends them out to do it.

And then they come back and then he downloads. It's a great way of teaching. It's really how the church should be really teaching. So he does it. Downloads, they have a go, downloads.

That's how he teaches, and it's to be with him. And he taught them all the way through his ministry, in that style. And then you find that we've seen this, that he points things out. He asks loads and loads of questions. He answers questions of people around him.

And then he takes them to Jerusalem. He takes them to Samaria. Amazing. He takes them to gentile territory. He talks to Jews.

He talks to Samaritans. He talks to centurions. He talks to Greeks. He talks to people from tyre. It's interesting what he's doing.

He's teaching them all in all of these ways where he goes. He, he's very kind to the poor, and he's very, very strong with the rich and particularly strong with any religious leaders. He's very, very strong on that. So he's teaching them, the these sort of things. He taught them about service.

He taught them about washing feet. He he taught them about what persecution's gonna look like He taught them about how to deal with persecution if you're gonna be going into all the world to preach the gospel. He taught them about responses that he's gonna have to the gospel, in that famous parable of, what we call the sower, but it's really of the seeds, isn't it? And of the soils. He taught them the different responses.

He taught them about John the Baptist and the response that herod had to John the Baptist. And so he taught them. He taught them how to pray, and so he's teaching ministry. And then, of course, as we've seen, you know, recently, not only at at this weekend, but also, you know, throughout Matthew. This death and resurrection of Christ is what he was building up to.

And then last week, we came to the Great Commission, so we can put that up. And we saw this, and we were looking at this last week. Then the 11 disciples went to Galile to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go, When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubt it. Then Jesus came to them and said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go make disciples of all nations baptizing them in in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always to the very ends of the age, and we were hearing about that great commission last week.

So my question is, and this is what we're doing this evening. So what happened? What actually happened next? That's my question. Whatever happened to the 12 apostles, whatever happened to this band of brothers, that's the question we're looking at.

When you look at them, There's nothing particularly special about about them. They, they were 12, and they were from all kinds of different backgrounds, and there's left nothing particularly extraordinary about about any of them, and yet they were given this extraordinary task to go into all the world and tell people to turn from sin, repent, and have faith in Jesus Christ. They were told to go and do that. Now, did they do that? So tonight, I wanna just sort of briefly have a look at and it's gonna be brief.

Don't don't worry, because we've got 12 to get through, well, 13, actually. And, and I'm not even dealing with Paul. But we're we we've got these men together. I just wanna just have a just a big picture because because I'm always interested to know what what happened to these men. So we'll have a quick look at their calling to follow Jesus.

We're gonna look at where they're mentioned in the bible very briefly. All these are things are brief. What they were sort of like, how you can sort of, can we sort of get any sort of picture of what what they were like? How god then changed them over the over the over the years of their lives and their ministry and shape them for the task, and how and when they died, where they went, because I think that's quite interesting. Now we can never be 100 percent sure with all of them.

We can be 100 percent sure with 1 of them, and the others It's there's a lot of sort of tradition reports, there's legends. Some of them are really quite reliable in what they did and where they went and how they died. And some are, well, I'll tell you some of them perhaps on the way. We'll see. They're quite legend.

And, but what did they do? The Great Commission? They were given that Great Commission at the end of Matthew. So what happened to this band of brothers? Well, first of all, they were told by the risen Jesus to stay in Jerusalem, and when the Holy Spirit comes in acts chapter 1.

And the Great Commission is is is sort of re given because it goes like this, you will be my witnesses. Jesus says to them, to Jerusalem, to Judea, to and Samaria, which is a bit bigger, and to the ends of the earth. So the great commission is is reemphasized in in, in acts chapter 1. Then if you know the story, in acts chapter 2, pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes upon them. And, they, just sorry.

Just before that, they they they replace, Judith, who had killed himself and was the traitor with matthias. And then they wait for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes upon them. Peter stands up, and he preaches in the power of the Holy Spirit, and there are 15 different languages mentioned. So the gift of tongues is given, and there are 15 different human language is given, because these people are from all these different regions and areas, to come to Jerusalem for the Passover feast.

So you've got the beginnings, the seeds of the great commission, to go into all the world. You've got 15 languages spoken about the lord Jesus Christ. And eventually, they're gonna go back home the 15 different areas. So there's something of the seed of of, of the great commission coming in to go into all the worlds. But actually, when you read through acts, It's quite surprising at how slow the apostles are.

The apostles themselves want to sort of stick at being in Jerusalem for quite a long time. And when you read through access, it's really only halfway through acts chapter 15 that they've really got it, and they're now then going. But up to then, there has to be all kinds of things happening to get them out of Jerusalem, even though Jesus said the great commission, and even though he said Jerusalem, Judaism, sumerian to the ends of the earth, as I say, you get seeds of it at pentecost with those 15 languages, but the apostles, they they just won't budge from Jerusalem. And it takes a persecution, the persecution of of Saul, who becomes Paul, to scatter the the people of god, those who become Christians, and still the apostle stay in Jerusalem. It's Philip, who's a deacon in the church, who goes and preaches.

And then Peter and John think, oh, we better go go then. So it's Philip, a non op apostle. Who actually goes first to preach, and then and then Peter John sort of catch up. And then you've got all kinds of things going on in in the book of acts because, Peter then has to have a vision in acts chapter 10 which is saying, look, everything's clean. You know, everything's clean.

You've gotta go you can eat anything you like, and everything's clean. And he has to have this experience with with a Roman soldier called Cornelius. And and god has to sort of convince Peter. You gotta go. And then there's arguments in the church about the gentiles.

And Paul comes along, and he's very strong, and he writes the book of Galatians, and he has to argue with Peter who at that time is really like the lead apostle that Peter, you're acting wrongly. We've got to get out and get to the gentiles. So it's really not until acts chapter 15 after a couple of councils in the church. That they're they're actually beaming off to do the great commission. So that that's sort of what's happening.

But eventually, they went. So let's have a look at each of these apostles. Are you ready? I'm gonna go quickly. Anybody ready?

He was a yeah. Okay. First 1, Simon Peter, Cifas. Let's have a a little picture of him, because that's what's supposed to have happened to him. Well, he was called while he was fishing with his brother, Andrew.

You get back in the gospels. Jesus, obviously renamed him, Simon, and, from Simon to Peter. Everybody says Peter means rock, you know, like a big rock, actually means quite a small rock. And, he's more like a pebble, more like a rock. My name's Peter, so I should know.

So Jesus re names him. Of course, is it he mentioned in the new testament, well, all over the place, all over the 4 gospels, obviously, and in the book of acts, He seems to be a leader amongst the pos the apostles. In many ways, he's the 1 that preaches at Pentecost where the spirit comes on, and he's speaking about the lord Jesus Christ. He's a key figure in the book of acts until to 15 and really you don't really hear of him really after chapter 12 in many ways. He's associated with the book of Mark in the Bible that Mark wrote that most people think that that's Peter's sermons that Mark wrote down.

He obviously wrote 1 and 2 Peter in the Bible. What was he like? Personalityality? He's a leader. He's definitely a leader.

He's bold. He's impulsive. He's outspoken. He's strengths are that he has initiative. He's a very courageous man.

You think about what he did at gethsemane. The trouble is we just think of him then denying Christ, but he went for it. He went with a knife there was a whole load of Roman soldiers and a whole load of temple guards around. He was prepared to go for a fight. So that there was there's some sort of courage in him, a willingness to act, but he's often rash.

He's inconsistent. 1 minute is drawing a sword out. 1 minute is swearing, in front of, you know, young servant girls to make sure that they think he's not a follower of Jesus. He seems to have to have lessons repeated at least 3 times. Yeah.

If you really you have to keep hearing the thing and hearing the thing and hearing the thing. I think that's 1 reason why we like him because he feels so fallible in many ways and yet he's so excited in many other ways. But god's workmanship on him, Jesus shaped him this unstable man, uneducated man into this foundational leader And Peter illustrates to us that god transforms raw, flawed leadership into spiritually strong people. Tradition says that he preached in Jerusalem. Well, that's true.

He preached in Antioch, and he preached in Rome. He was never a pope, by the way, but he preached in Rome, and he was martyred in Rome probably at the same time as Paul under Nero, And it's pretty strong tradition that he was crucified, and he chose to be crucified upside down, because he said, that well, tradition says that he said I am not worthy to be crucified like my lord. So turn me the other way up. It's a pretty good tradition. Andrew, second 1, Andrew.

Click on to the next 1, please. So he's the brother of Peter, obviously, original, disciple of John the Baptist, if you read John chapter 1, he actually brings Peter to Jesus. He's mentioned in the list of 12, as we've already read, but you find that he's 1 of these blokes that brings people to Jesus quietly. So there's just there's 2 occasions in John's gospel, John chapter 6, John chapter 12, where he's bringing people to Jesus. So he brings Simon Peter to Jesus.

In John chapter 12, there's some Greeks that that wanna see Jesus. And he brings the Greeks to Andrew and the, to, to, who is it to? Philip, and then, and then they together bring bring these Greeks to Jesus. Probably Philip had some kind of Greek, you know, upbringing that name and, and it's it's a lovely thing. So what was he like?

Well, we're not sure, but he's quiet. It seems to be. He's quite humble. He's behind the scenes. He's a bringer to Jesus.

God's workmanship on him? Well, not all ministry is public. Not all ministry is out there preaching at Pentecost. Andrew, I think, represents faithful, personal, evangelism, not wanting the spotlight. Tradition says he was a, a missionary to Greece and then to Sophia.

It's suggested that he went to the to what is now the Soviet Union as well, and at that time was called the land of the man eaters. So he went there. So so tradition says, and into sort of modern Turkey area, all that sort of area, And the Fox's book of martyrs, says that, he was, arrested for preaching the gospel and was crucified on an on this shaped cross. And that's why you've got St. Andres crossed like that.

James, third 1, James, son of Zebedee, nothing to do with, you know, forgot what he's called now. Imagine roundabout. Yeah. Some no 1 will know that, except for the old ones amongst us. James summoned Zebedee, Zebedee, whenever Zebedee came in the magic roundabout, he went, boing, like that.

So you're not meant to do that when you read the scriptures, of course. But Zebedee, Boin, son of Zebedee, he was called, with John, as he was mending the nets. We're told. He's mentioned as the as being in the inner circle of Jesus. Throughout the gospels.

He got Peter, James, and John. He's there at the transfiguration, for instance, he's at these important events. What was he like when he was the brother of John? His nickname, along with his brother, John, was son of thunder. So that gives you some idea of what he may may well have been like.

So I had imagined intense, passionate, 1 of these blokes you could press, you know, press the button and the blooow, the blow up son of thunder. He had a very, very aggressive and ambitious mother that was always wanting to get him on, and, you know, if you've know that story. So god's workmanship on him, well, zeal has to be refined. And, god challenges these strong personalities and uses them for his own purposes. It's not tradition here because we've got it in the Bible.

He's the first apostle to be martyred. And in acts chapter 12, we're told that herod had him, put to death by the sword. Stabbed to death. Fourthly, John, John, his brother, son of Zebedee Boin, and, he was called alongside James, his brother, He's mentioned in the Bible, obviously, in in John. He's he's mentioned as the beloved disciple and the disciple that Jesus loved.

It's not that Jesus didn't love it, everyone, but there was a particular intimate connection there that Jesus had. He's key at all the the big events. We know. He he's at the transfiguration. He's at the crucifixion.

He's around the the resurrection. He's very prominent in the book of acts until acts chapter 4. He wrote the gospel of John He wrote the book of Revelation. He wrote 1, 2, and 3 Johns all found in our Bible. What was he like?

Well, he's a son of thunder. He's like his brother. He's got the same mother that's trying to promote him to Jesus all the time if you know those stories. But he's shifted from a being known as the son of thunder to being known as the apostle of love. The apostle of love.

That's a that's a lovely workmanship of god, isn't it? That he takes hold of this character with a natural temperament that could blow up, you know, and explode and reshape him into the gospel, into the, into the apostle of love. That's what god does with these people. It's just it's just lovely. He lived in Ephasis.

He was exiled to to Pat Moss, and he's the only apostle that that most people think. He's the only apostle that died naturally. Actually, there is a story a traditional story, you can believe it, if you like, that he was boiled in, in a pot in, in, in the coliseum. So he's put in a pot and then boiled before the whole coliseum. And didn't die, and he got out the pot, and the whole coliseum was converted.

There are lots of weird stories around, but, it looks like that isn't true, but there we go. Let's go on to Philip. So Philip, he's directly called by Jesus in John chapter 1. So it says finding Philip, Jesus said to him, follow me. And he himself then brings Nathaniel to Jesus He's got a couple of interesting stories because in in John's gospel, he he's the 1 that sort of asks questions.

He it seems like he's the 1 that wants to, Make sure the organization is good. Do you know what I mean? He's like a an Emma. You know? What's going on here then, Jesus?

Because, at the feeling of the 5000, he said, who how are we gonna get you could just imagine Emma doing this. There's Tom and me de organizing, you know, the May away day thing. I think fantastic. And Emma just slides in and says, and who's gonna feed this lot? You know, that's what he does at the feeding of the 5000.

Where are we gonna get this food from? You know. And then also at the last supper, he asked the question. Well, you're talking about the father. Show us the father then.

Why don't you show us the father So it seems what's he like? Well, again, you know, we gotta read these things, you know, in into these things. But, you know, it seems that he's very practical. He's perhaps analytical. He's a good organizer.

He doesn't really grasp spiritual things, but he's unafraid to ask the question so he does get the spiritual things. And so, again, god's workmanship on him. He he represents the the sort of process thinker. The thing that person is working things out. Jesus, how does this work out?

Perhaps, that's what he and and faith grows those who perhaps initially struggle. So what is this about? Why would we do this? How are we gonna feed these people? You know, who show us the father.

What's god works in those things and changes and changes people. Traditionally, he he preached in Asia Minor, Asia Minor, And again, a tradition says that he went out and he preached in Asia Minor and, Frigia in those sort of areas, and, and Carthage North Africa. He preached there. And that he was arrested, and he was put to death like Peter upside down on a cross. Sixly, still with me?

Nearly halfway through, Bartolomeu or Nathaniel. They're the same person, really. So, Philip, he's introduced to Jesus by Philip. It says when Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said to him, here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no seat. That's an extraordinary thing, isn't it for Jesus to to say about someone?

He looks at them and says, here's someone who has no deceit. He's listed amongst the 12 in the gospels. As I say, he's he's, Botholemy and Sanur are probably the same person almost definitely. So he seems to be what's he like? He seems to be an honest straightforward bloke, no deceit.

He questioned. He wasn't prepared to be, just believe something. He what he but he was prepared to ask a question and then get an answer. He's not just a skeptic because he he says, is can anything good come out of Nazareth or come and see? Okay.

Well, let's go and see. So, you know, that's that's a good trait, isn't it? So god's workmanship on him, honest doubts is not condemned by Jesus. Jesus welcomes sincere seekers, and he reveals truth to them. And anyone that's sincerely seeking and sincerely asking questions to get answers.

God reveals himself to them through the lord Jesus Christ. Tradition says he was a mission to Armenia, India, some say Arabia. So he's the picture I'm trying to get you is see the see the see of the acts 15. The the got they're taking the great commission properly. They're going to all these different places, preaching it.

And I I guess they take young men with them. And other and other people with them. Tradition says, well, there's there's a number of things with him that he was, knifed to death. But the worst 1, and and the the biggest tradition, I think it's from the book of, Fox's book of martyrs, is that he was flayed alive. And if you go to that church, some bartholomew's in if you're going to London, go to some bartholomew's Martin Square, and you go to the bathroom.

There's an amazing, what do you call it? A statue sculpture by Damien Hurst, some yes. Thank you. And knows everything. Damienhurst, where it's it's made of gold.

It's quite an amazing thing where he's holding his whole skin. So they're flaying alive is is a nasty thing. If you go to the British Museum, you see what how how that works in some of the pictures there as well. So wow. There's betholemy.

Thomas called Didymus, It's not explicit, how he's called. Of course, he's mentioned in the Bible. He's the 1 who doubted the, the resurrection. But there's devotion in Thomas as well. You gotta remember that Thomas is he's known as the doubter.

But he but he was also the 1 who said in John chapter 11, when Jesus said, let's go to Jerusalem. He is also the 1 that said, okay, well, we go. Let's die with you because he he he knew that Jesus was gonna be in big trouble. So there's a real devotion in him. So the nickname that we've given in Paul bloke is doubting Thomas, but god's workmanship on him, what's what's that like?

Well, doubt can coexist with real faith if you're prepared to listen to answers. And so Thomas moves from doubt to be 1 of the the strongest confessions my lord and my god. You see that? So god is is is is that's the lovely thing isn't it about god? We we you know, we don't become a Christian and then with a with a finished article.

He moves us. From doubting to the lord, my god. Tradition says, and it's this is a very strong tradition, that he went to India, and he preached in India, and there's there's there's actually, monuments and things, to Thomas. And there's a whole sort of group of Christians that's sort of named after Thomas. And in fact there's a bloke, isn't there in Dun Donald, who's who's who would say that he's related to Thomas in some ways.

He's got big beard, so probably that's why. And, but, it it seemed that he was, pierced to death by 4 soldiers with spears. Eighthly. We're doing well, Matthew Levi. Matthew or Levi tax collector.

He was called at the tax collector's booth, by Jesus. Amazing. Next thing he's doing is inviting his tax collector mates to an evangelistic supper. Jesus comes to it, and Jesus preaches at it. He's mentioned, obviously, over the Bible.

He's listed amongst the 12. He wrote Matthews's gospel. What was he like? Well, before he followed Jesus, he was a tax collector, so he knew what it was like to be despised, and he knew what it was like to be associated with corruption as well. That was a highly corrupt and highly despised job.

He knew what it was to be a social outcast. He knew what it was to be seen as a traitor to his family and his family religion. And, and to the Jewish faith. So god's workmanship on him, powerful example of grace. It's a really lovely 1, isn't it?

Jesus calls these most unlikely these socially rejected people into his service. Tradition. Tradition says that he went to Ethiopia. Some say he went to Persia, so he's sort of going, you know, all over the place. And, tradition says that, he, was, stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

Sort of a long some say alongside bartholomew was being flayed. So, that's Matthew. 9. I'm not sure how he died. You can see.

Well, actually both. So this is James Son of Elpheus. Again, he's not described. We don't know how his calling was, but he's listed amongst the 12. He's probably James the younger that Mark talks about who was at the cross.

With Mary. What was he like? Well, very little information we really don't know. God's workmanship, well, again, you know, it's worth just remembering these things. Faithfulness doesn't require prominence, you know.

You know, he's, he was off it was often James the younger or James the less. But he doesn't mind being called that because he's doing god's work, and it's a meaningful work. We know not a little about him. And so it's worth knowing, isn't it? That that's what god does.

God doesn't require our prominence. Doesn't we we don't have to be famous and fantastic, and everybody know about us. Tradition, says that he went to Egypt. Martyrdom, his killing is again sort of unsure. The Jewish historian, Josephus, says that he was stoned but didn't quite die, so they clubbed him to death.

So he's he's got 2 stoning and clubbing. Should we sing a song? Don't know what you sing after that, but we're gonna sing anyway. Okay. We're moving on.

We've got too long left. Tenthly then, thaddeus or Judith, son of James. Again, we don't know about his calling, but he's there in the new testament. In in the list of of the 12 called Judith, not Asariot in, in chapter 14 as well. So they have different names.

He's associated with the the letter of Jude that's in our Bible. We don't really know much about him. But god's workmanship again, it it just represents those who serve again quietly. A lot of them are like this, aren't they quietly with minimal recognition, but they're genuinely devoted to god's cause. Tradition says that he went to Syria, and he was martyred by being hacked to death.

So That's that's him. Simon, the zealot, is the next 1. Again, not, not, his calling is not described. Again, he's he's mentioned as we've already seen in the list of 12. His background probably is anti anti Roman.

He's in a political group. That's why he's he's called the zealot. And, so he's presumably passionate about putting down the Romans, about, you know, the the being a militant and all of that sort of stuff. And again, if you see that that then that god's workmanship, transcends these political extremes, Jesus unites from radical different ideologies. I mean, it's just it's quite amazing if you think about it because if that is what he is, a zealot for, anti Romans, he's in the same band of brothers originally as Matthew, the tax collector.

They are stream ends of thinking politically, but they're united together with a better cause, and they don't make those things, their cause. And that's 1 of the problems that happens, isn't it? The the church misses the gospel, sort of goes down 1 end of the political, pipeline. But god works together. These people with different ideologies, when it comes to politics, and they have bigger vision of the gospel.

Tradition associates him with going to Persia or Egypt. His martyrdom is is is a little confusing because he could have been crucified he could have been sawn in 2, or he could have died naturally. I don't know which 1 you'd wanna choose, but, I thought sawn in 2. I mean, it's extraordinary, isn't it? But the biggest tradition is that he was sawn in 2.

Actually, there is a tradition that he came to Britain. Yeah. So there we go. But he was out there preaching gospel. Twelfth is Judith Scariot.

He's obviously 1 of the chosen by Jesus. He's mentioned all over the new testament. He's the treasurer, of this little band of brothers, and he's nicking money. And, he betrays Jesus in the end and sells Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. It was 3 months wages or whatever.

And his death describe in both Matthew and Acts. So he hangs himself and his bowels fall out. It's pretty it's pretty gruesome. So what was he like? Well, he was a treasurer of the group, but he's deceptive, and he's greedy, and he's lying, and he ultimately betrays.

So god's workmanship well, theory me. Proximity to Jesus and the band of brothers doesn't equal salvation. It's a it's a stark warning. And when we looked at that, we we saw that. Obviously, tradition of death, we've already told you no missionary, no commitment, obviously, to the to the, great commission, except that he is preached around the world as a warning.

He was then replaced in acts chapter 1, with, Matthews and, mathias. Sorry. And, he's mentioned there in in acts chapter 1, Again, we don't really know anything else about him, except tradition says he preached in cappadocia and, Ethiopia, and tradition says he was martyred by being burnt to death. Now that's what happened. I haven't talked about Paul, obviously, but that's what happened.

They're they're the band of brothers. They're the band of brothers. And I think it's just amazing. Don't you? They're they're real people.

They're so real. They're not fake. They're not super duper religious weirdos. They're real people that finally got what Jesus was on about. To go into all the world, to break their traditions, to break out of their comfortable zones, to break out of family relationships even, and to go to their death.

Yeah? Are they dead? No. They're very much alive. They're very much alive.

Yeah? If they hadn't done that, they would have died anyway. And we would have heard nothing about them, not even their names, and they wouldn't have achieved anything. But they followed god and went into all the world to preach the gospel at extraordinary pain, but now they're in glory. So here's some big themes just to get from this.

First of all, they're they're ordinary people with an extraordinary mission. As I said, they're they're not elite, they're they're fishermen, they're tax collectors, they're political radicals, and I think this highlights that that this mission is god's power. It's not human ability that drives ministry. It's god who drives ministry through human inability. There's there's a lot of stuff said today about church planting, and there's a lot of words that are said that are quite disturbing, I find.

We need entrepreneurs. We need people that, you know, are phenomenal at leadership. We need people that can raise big cash. And there's a there's a lot of this stuff that goes on. And I don't know about you, but I'm quite sick of it.

You know, everything has to be extraordinary. Extraordinary this, and powerful this, and these are just ordinary men. And the power is god using ordinary men. Isn't it? Ordinary people?

That's the beauty. I think that's the beauty of the Christian gospel. He uses ordinary people like you and me to take this extraordinary message out. That's my first point. Ordinary people extraordinary mission.

The second thing is this diversity, but unity within diversity. And that is the church. The church is diverse, but unified. And it's unified through maturity, and that maturity comes through growing in Jesus. That's the maturity.

And as we grow in Jesus, we're we're able to have a diversity of gifts and abilities. In order to get the gospel out, it's it's it's a it's a 1 it's a wonderful thing, that. So as I say, you've got Matthew, the tax collector, and you've got Simon the zealot. And the gospel just unites across those social and ideological, divides. I mean, it's very interesting, isn't it?

Because in acts chapter 1, I'd love to open that up in many ways. In acts chapter 1, when they're grouped together, The question they ask Jesus is, how's the end gonna come? You know, there's always end time people. They always just take us away from the truth of the gospel in there. You know, what's the predictions?

I mean, even Peter, when he's restored, says, what's going happen to John? You know, you know, he's amazing. You know, how we just and Jesus said, don't worry about that. It's not your task to try and find, you know, the the what we're over is the locusts in Revelation that they're the helicopters over Iran or something. Yes.

Not your job to find that sort of nonsense out. That's not what we're about. Yeah. We're about taking the gospel out to people. So that people will become Christians and followers of Jesus, and we do that even at the cost of our lives.

So so there's this diversity, but the unity in the big message This is the big message. Let's never lose that. Thirdly, transformation over time. I just love that, and we've gotta remember that. We're not pot noodles.

You know, Chris don't become a christian if someone pours hot water on you and suddenly you're you're in 30 seconds, you're a whole meal. You know, it doesn't work. It takes time. And even people like Peter has to hear it, and then hear it, and then even be publicly rebuked in in, in Galatians. By Paul, Peter, you're not acting Christian at you, the great apostle, Peter.

Remember the great commission? Don't do that, Peter. And Paul has to go out of his way to do this sort of stuff. So they're transformed over time, and it takes time to form, doesn't it? Our character and, take away our impulses and give us strength.

Take away our doubtfulness and give us stronger belief and all of that sort of stuff. So ordinary people, extraordinary mission, diversity, within a unity or unity within a diversity, and, and this transformation over time, fourthly, this faithfulness over fame. Faithfulness over fame. What a big thing? It seems to me that lots of things that go wrong in the Christian in the Christian ministry is that people just wanting fame.

You know, all the time, they wanna be big. They wanna write the books. They wanna be known as the, you know, it's just just it's this but faithfulness over fame. They went to these lands, you know, and were burnt and flayed alive. And, you know?

Faithfulness over fame seems to me to be a really big thing. We're not in this to be worldly famous. We're in this because we love Christ and we love the world, and we want to take the good news of Jesus and repentance and faith to the lost world. Fifthly, warning of false discipleship, Judith is that, isn't he? He's that great warning, and we have to take that.

Just because you're around Jesus, just because you're around Jesus people. Has your heart been changed? Has your heart been changing you really about this world and getting power and money out of religion? It's interesting. When I read, this week, the the the the sermon at Pentecost and when the Holy Spirit came, I just jotted down.

It's very interesting. I jotted down. The Holy Spirit comes not for purse not experience. He doesn't come for that. Of course, we're born again by the spirit, but it's not for it the the holy spirit isn't there for our pleasure zone.

And that seems to have gone so wrong, doesn't it? The Holy Spirit doesn't come for our self interest or our sign seeking or our miracles or our own pleasure. He's there to help us to fulfill the great commission. And if the Holy Spirit is just making us internal about the experiences I'm gonna have in that building, then there's something radically seriously wrong with that. The holy spirit is to give us ability to go and take the gospel to the world.

Sixly, world mission is absolutely important. Now we pray regularly here for missionaries and, those in persecuted lands and those in lands where the gospel hasn't gone, and we play we play weekly for these things. And we've gotta keep this up. We've gotta keep world mission as really important. Because he says in the great commission that he will be with us when we go out of our comfort zone a bit, and we speak to the world.

Now it's amazing living in London because the world has come to us. And we we've got a church, haven't we? With 40 different nationalities in it, you know, when we've counted it up in the morning service. It's an amazing thing. We have internationals in this place every Tuesday to so on Tuesday night, there'll be Iranians here.

There'll be North Koreans here. There'll be people here that it's it's extraordinary. It's an extraordinary work. And if if you're free on a Tuesday, you should commit to that work. It's good.

But don't come and just eat the meal. If you're gonna come and eat the meal, you want to pay for it. But but, but it's it's a what it's a wonderful work to actually speak to people. Isn't it? Isn't it?

It is just and then it's just always a pleasure to come hear these Iranians. You know, how they've come out of Islam. And it's just it's just a wonderful thing. So we should be about international. And if you're not talking to internationalists, if you're just in your little group, of little, you know, whatever it is your group is.

But you need to break out of that. Paul would come and say to Peter, what are you doing? You know? Come on. The great commission.

It should be in our blood It should be us looking out for all of the different nationalities. It should be excitement that there's another person from another race, come to us. So world mission is really important. And so on that basis, I'm gonna suggest that we pray on our tables just for a few minutes. If you're not used to that, you don't have to worry someone will pray on your table.

About being, great commission people. And maybe you'll be someone who's gonna be flayed alive. Who's volunteering for that 1? Anyone wanna volunteer for that 1? Flayed alive?

Part? Yeah. Okay. Come on. We could practice.

Well, you're in Tallworths. You might be flayed alive in Tollwood. So we have to go to all the world, even Tollworth. So let's pray on our tables that we'd take this seriously as a church, Let's pray for international cafe and all the nations that come to that, and let's pray that the lord will open their hearts to the good news of Christ, and let's pray that we'll be serious as a band of brothers. So just for a few minutes, pray on your tables, anything that struck you, do that.