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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about a passage where the 12 disciples are listed. 

The Twelve Apostles

10 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ² The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^{[a] 4} Simon the Zealot,^[b] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Today, we read the list of the 12 disciples. By taking a look at what God’s Word has to say about each one of these disciples, we can learn about how Jesus can use each one of us within the church. 

1. Peter:
2. James:
3. John:
4. Andrew:
5. Philip:
6. Bartholomew:
7. Matthew:
8. Thomas:
9. James:
10. Jude:
11. Simon:
12. Judas Iscariot:

If God chose these guys, what does that teach us?

1. He can use us too!

2. We can set aside our differences

3. We can set aside our biases

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

• Take some time to read over Matthew 10:1-4 and pray. 
• Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
• What surprised you as we talked about it?
• Take a look over your notes from the 12 disciples. As we discussed them in the message, and as you reflect on them now, which one do you resonate with the best? Which one is the most relatable to you? Which one do you think is closest to yourself? Why is that? 
• As you think about your answer from above, take some time to think through and pray about why you identify with that disciple, and ask God to use you to build His Kingdom. 

Diving In 

1. Jesus chose Matthew, someone who had betrayed Israel for Rome and for his own gain, as well as Simon the Zealot, who more than likely would have been a massive supporter of a violent overthrow of the Roman empire in favor of Israel, and put them on the same team for the benefit of His Kingdom. What does this teach us about the church today, and the people that God has led to be involved in the church? 

• How has the enemy snuck in and divided the church?
• What are the top things that typically cause you to wrongly divide with other believers? 
• Read John 17:20-21. How can you work on creating the same kind of unity that Jesus prays that His believers would have? 
• Spend some time in prayer, asking that God would give you practical step(s) to help to create unity within the church. 

2. Because of the different backgrounds that the 12 disciples came from (including but not limited to the one listed in question #1), it’s not too much of a stretch to think that some of the disciples would have had certain biases towards one another. What type of person are you most likely to have a bias towards or against? 

• Read Matthew 6:33. Spend some time in prayer, asking that God would help you to put aside your biases for the good of His Kingdom. 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

• What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
• How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
• Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

 

For a deeper dive into each one of the disciples, make sure to check out:

https://overviewbible.com/12-apostles/

 

 

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