Gleans from Monday Bible Study with Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
DLBC Gbagada HQ
3rd June 2019
Study 13 – THE PURPOSEFUL CALLING OF THE TWELVE BY CHRIST
Text – Mark 3:7-21; Luke 2:48-50; Titus 1:2,3; John 10:17-18; 1 Peter 1:18
Jesus called these twelve apostles for a purpose, so that they will be with Him. Our Lord Jesus was passionately occupied in His Father’s business. At the age of twelve, when He went to the temple and His parents were looking for Him, His response to Mary, His mother was, “……. How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). Jesus Christ came to this world to do something definite, purposeful, planned, practical and for the redemption of the whole of humanity. But Mary and Joseph did not understand this (Luke 2:50). He was purposefully engaged in something that has been ordained in all eternity; not an afterthought but planned before the foundation of the world, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 2:3). He came to give us life eternal, redeem us from our spiritual death and bring us to eternal life, and this was promised before the world began. He had irreversibly committed Himself to this work against all odds (John 10:17-18). His redemptive Sacrifice that will take humanity from sin to the salvation had been foreordained, determined before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). Before the Pharisees and the nation Israel came into existence, the Lord knew that He would make the ultimate sacrifice for the redemption of man. So the presence and the opposition of the Pharisees and all the other religious rulers could not stop Him; it didn’t matter at all that they were there. Look at your life and ministry; you are not an afterthought. God knew and had ordained you before you were born. He had the foreknowledge of what you will do, and what He had appointed for you to do and just like Christ, in spite of oppositions and persecutions you will do the work He has committed into your hands in Jesus Name.
Christ continued His appointed ministry and chose twelve apostles, who will carry on the ministry after His Ascension (Mark 3:7).
3 points:
Point 1. THE POWERFUL CURE OF COMMON AND UNCOMMON DISEASES BY CHRIST
Mark 3:7-12
“For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.” (Mark 3:10). Jesus Christ healed all that came to him sick with common and uncommon diseases, and He is still the same today and forever. What He did before, He is able to do in your life even today in Jesus Name. This is the powerful cure and healing that Jesus Christ performed. Some lessons to learn here:
1. Great Multitudes – Mark 3:7,8,9; 4:1-2; 6:31-34
Anywhere Jesus went because of the manifestation of power, the demonstration of the gifts and grace of God upon His life, multitudes followed. You will see, “…and a great multitude”, “…a great multitude” and “the multitude” (Mark 3:7-9). These multitudes from everywhere followed Him because they knew that something was happening in the nation that they had never seen before. The great multitude was perpetual and constant, out of all the cities.
2. Great Miracles – Mark 3:8-9; Matthew 14:13-14; Luke 6:17-19; John 6:2
“…… a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him” “For he had healed many; …. (Mark 3:8,10). Those great things are still available today. Jesus is still the same and you too will hear, see, feel and have these great things; He will heal, deliver, transform and cure many today in Jesus’ Name. His power cannot and has not changed. “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities” (Matthew 14:13). It does not matter the location of your church, if the power of God is present there and spiritual authority manifested, the people will throng into the church. From today, put away all excuses for Christ will move mightily in your churches and anywhere you are, and great miracles will happen in their lives in Jesus Name. “And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all” (Luke 6:19). He is still the same today, and if you are sick, thank God, you will be healed tonight. There was no exception in His days here on earth, He healed them all, common and uncommon diseases, the blind, lame, maimed, deaf and dumb, the impotent, He healed them by His word. As you believe in the power and authority in that Name, the anointing of the Holy Ghost that comes with that Name will take away every infirmity from your life in Jesus’ Name.
3. Great Maladies – Mark 3:10-12; Luke 7:21-22; John 5:5-9; 9:30-3
The diseases the people had were great, great maladies. “And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God” (Mark 3:11). People who had insanity, unclean spirits, madness, legions of evil spirits dwelling, driving and tearing them apart, He healed everyone. And if there is anything tormenting you today, anything driving you to suicide, and untimely death, you are delivered in Jesus’ Name. The demons recognized His authority and position as the very Son of God, no wonder they listened and obeyed His command. Any evil spirit driving anyone here or listening to this Bible Study, Jesus will set you free. Jesus did not just heal few people and leave others to suffer. “And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight” (Luke 7:21). If sin was the cause of the sickness, He forgave their sins, and then healed their sicknesses. Whatever the malady, He healed every one of them. “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me” (John 5:7). Jesus is greater than the pool, medicine and all the solutions you have been trying to find, Today, you will get the healing. He will cure every disease, destroy every work of the devil and heal you. “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” (John 5:8). Jesus neither prayed nor touch this man that had thirty-eight years of infirmity, because He is the Authority, Divine Healer, Creator of the whole world. The word of authority and power will heal you even tonight in Jesus Name. “And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath” (John 5:9). You don’t need to continue to suffer, His healing and deliverance will come to you. And it doesn’t matter what, He heals every day of the week for His power is always the same.
“….God heareth not sinners…”(John 9:30). This implies that God will not give the power of working miracles into sinners’ hands. He will give them salvation, if they pray for it, but as for miracles, God hears not sinners. “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind” (John 9:32). This was a man born blind, and yet Jesus opened his eyes. The implication is that Jesus is greater than the Pharisees and all men, higher than the whole of humanity because He could resolve and solve every problem that man has.
Point 2. THE PURPOSEFUL CALL OF CONVERTED DISCIPLES BY CHRIST
Mark 3:13-20
After He healed the people, then He went into a mountain, a solitary place to pray, after which He made a choice of twelve disciples that became apostles. “And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.” (Mark 3:13)
Three lessons from here:
1. His Prayer before their Choice – Mark 3:13; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:15-16,21-24; 13:2-4
He didn’t just choose them; He went up into the mountain to pray. When you are going to take a great decision or a selection, when there is a great assignment and you want people that will join hands with you for its fulfillment; when you are thinking about life and you want to choose a help-meet, wife or husband, to make the purpose of God for your life fulfilled; when you are looking for somebody that will partner with you and make you successful in what the Lord has ordained for you; you need to pray. You cannot just make a choice because of their facial appearances, or familiarity with them; you need to pray. Jesus prayed before their choice, “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13). Do you pray before you make important choices like where to live, the work to do, a brother/sister to marry, a church to attend, a profession, where to build that house? Make sure you pray before taking any decision no matter how small. This is the principle that Christ has left for us. Bother God with your prayers because He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what each person that comes into your life will do, whether they will build up of destroy your life. “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen” (Acts 1:24). The disciples also prayed in their selection of who was to replace Judas Iscariot. I pray you will pray before you make your choices in life and ministry and the Lord will answer your prayer and choose the best for you in Jesus Name. “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:2-3). Again, there was work to be done, and the Holy Ghost knew who could do it.
2. The Proof of their Conversion – Matthew 18:3; Luke 5:32; Mark 6:12; Luke 10:20
As He was going to send them out to tell people that they must be converted, He must have been sure they were converted as well. “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Jesus cannot send them out to bring people into the kingdom if they were not converted and had not entered the Kingdom. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). This was what Jesus came to do, and He made sure the disciples had this before He chose them. “And they went out, and preached that men should repent” (Mark 6:12). They had repented and that gave them authority to call others to repentance. “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). If the seventy had their names in Heaven, then the twelve had theirs written in Heaven too.
3. His Persuasion of their Consecration – Luke 5:27-28; 18:28-30; John 8:11-12
Christ was persuaded without any shadow of doubt that they were consecrated. The work He had for them to do was the greatest that anybody could be involved in throughout all generations and as such, they must be consecrated. If you want Him to choose you for a special assignment and seek to do what He came to do, to seek and save the lost, you must be converted and consecrated unto the Lord. “And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him” (Luke 5:27-28). See the consecration of Levi (Matthew) here, he left all to follow Christ; unlike the young ruler that came wanting to follow Him, and when Jesus asked him to go and sell all that he had then come and follow Him; he went away sorrowful. Jesus was persuaded that the disciples were fully consecrated and that was why He chose them. That same grace to leave all and follow the Lord, He will give to you, and whatever will hinder you from getting to Heaven, you will forsake and follow Christ. Whatever will make you stumble and then not be able to run the race unto the very end – a sin partner forcing you to commit sin, work, company or engagement that will hinder you from getting to heaven, you will forsake in Jesus Name. Any secret thing, occultic practices of darkness that will hinder you from being a real disciple of Christ, you will forsake. Whatever it is, private or public that will hinder you from making it at the Rapture, even if that thing will bring a lot of money, promotion and riches, you will forsake them and be consecrated in Jesus Name. Others may, I will not, cannot and must not. That was the consecration of those disciples; they forsook everything that could hinder them to follow the Lord. “Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee” (Luke 18:28).
“…..go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). Whatever you are getting from that association, partnership or initiation, even if it is your livelihood and it is wrong, you will not continue there. The power and grace to go and sin no more, the Lord will give to you. Power you have, but you must have willingness. His Hands and Eyes are upon you; your Christian life will shine, and your life will amount to something significant, great, high and of eternal value in Jesus Name.
Point 3. THE PRACTICAL CULTIVATION OF CONSECRATED DISCIPLES BY CHRIST
Mark 3:14-15
Cultivation implies training, development, and making them to be to be what they ought to be. These were disciples that knew nothing, and they needed to take the knowledge and the truth of the Kingdom to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the whole nations. So, they needed to be trained and qualified to do the work of the ministry. “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:” (Mark 3:14-15). Notice these words, ‘that they should be with him’, ‘that he might send them forth to preach’, and ‘to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils’. This was why He chose them and they had to come to the school of Christ so He will train, enlighten, educate, change and transform them from what they were to what they ought to be. Christ will cultivate in them the appropriate character, conduct and charisma so that His promise of making them ‘fishers of men’ will be fulfilled. There is a process of cultivation to train, enlighten and transform. In our personal lives too as the Lord has called us, it is not enough to say that you are born again, but if you are going to do something that others cannot do, to do what God has appointed for us individually, we must go through this process.
1. Conversion – Acts 3:19,26
To be used of God, it starts with conversion. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). You must repent and be converted. To do anything significant according to God’s standard, and to be an instrument in His hands in turning others away from their iniquities, you yourself must be converted (Acts 3:26).
2. Association – Mark 3:14; Luke 22:28-30; Acts 4:13
If you stay near the fire, you will catch some heat; if you stay in a cold room, you will catch some cold; if you stay near sun, you are going to sweat. So if you stay near Christ, all the virtues, abilities, goodness and grace of Christ will flow into your life, “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him” (Mark 3:14). He ordained twelve so that they will be associated with Him. Now Jesus is not on earth physically, but we have the benefit of His word that will not pass away. We have His word, and as we read, study and meditate, relying on the Holy Spirit’s guidance and teaching, as we continue in His Word, we shall be like Him. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). When you spend time with Jesus, His character and courage will come on you.
3. Instruction – Matthew 13:51
He instructed and gave them knowledge of what they did not have before. “Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). They could not have known the secrets of the Kingdom if He had not instructed them.
4. Conviction – John 6:67
They needed to have the conviction that this is the Christ without which if after He had left, there were challenges and pressure they would not be able to stay. For people who don’t have conviction, when things get sour, not easy or rosy as before, they are gone. “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:67-69). They all had conviction.
5. Exposition – Mark 4:34; Luke 24:27,45
The Old Testament was a closed book to the religious people of Christ’s day, but Jesus Christ gave His disciples exposition to be well trained. “But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples” (Mark 4:34). Anything that they did not understand He expounded to them and opened their understanding. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
6. Demonstration – John 13:15-17; 15:15
He gave them instruction in healing, casting out devils, working miracles, humility and how to comport their life and interaction with one another, and then demonstrated to them, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).
7. Impartation – Luke 9:1; 10:1-2,9
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases” (Luke 9:1). This is impartation, He gave them authority and power in His Name.
8. Delegation – Luke 9:2; Matthew 10:5-8
He showed and gave them what to do. What is the use of exposition without sending them out; what is the use of the impartation without sending them out to the fields to go and demonstrate that power and authority. “And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:2). He delegated the work to them.
9. Supervision – Mark 6:30-31
After He sent them out, they report back to Him what they had done. “And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught” (Mark 6:30). This was necessary for supervision. Christ needed to know what they had done and taught for proper supervision.
10. Correction – Luke 22:24-27
Supervision will not be complete without correction. So, in the process he corrected them. In the work and ministry that God has committed into your hands, do you give allowance for your leader, pastor or the GS to correct you? We need correction in the process of cultivation.
11. Intercession – John 17:9; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25
Christ prayed for them to be who they ought to be internally and externally, and be productive and profitable for the kingdom of God. Today, he is still making intercession for us, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34). Privately, the leader should be praying for those under his leadership that he is training, developing, and cultivating to be the ministers of God they ought to be. There must be intercession.
12. Reproduction – Luke 6:40; 1 John 4:17
“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40). Everyone that is well trained, and has gone through all the cultivation process shall be like the Master. “…because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). That was what Jesus did for His disciples, He called them, and got them through the process to reproduction.
What you are going to do is to surrender yourself into the hands of the Lord, and He will mold, mend, monitor your life, supervise and reproduce the great Image of His Personality in your life in Jesus Name. You must give yourself to Him; in your quiet time read, study, meditate on the Bible and pray. Be in close association with Him, and then you will grow and rise higher and the work of the Lord will prosper in all Jesus Name.
Ponder on this! There was no exception in His days here on earth, He healed them all, common and uncommon diseases, the blind, lame, maimed, deaf and dumb, the impotent, He healed them by His word. As you believe in the power and authority in that Name, the anointing of the Holy Ghost that comes with that Name will take away every infirmity from your life in Jesus’ Name. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi
Ponder on this! The work and the ministry had been preordained; that He will come to this world, and make that full, great and redemptive Sacrifice that will take humanity from sin and bring them to the salvation. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Hard Sayings – You will not do anything significant in life according to the standard of God, if you are not converted. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflection – Like a farmer cultivates his farm, so Christ will cultivate in them the appropriate character, conduct and charisma so that they will fulfil His promise of making them ‘fishers of men’.. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Words on the Marble – Supervision will not be complete if there is no correction. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Key Words – When you are going to take a great decision, make selection, when there is a great assignment and you want people that will join hands with you to do that assignment; when you are thinking about life and you want to choose somebody that will lift you up, and be a help-meet to you as a wife or husband, and make the purpose of God for your life to be fulfilled; when you are looking for somebody that will partner with you and make you successful in what the Lord has ordained for you; you need to pray. You cannot just make a choice because of their facial appearances, or familiarity with them; you need to pray. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
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