Matthew 10:2-4
“These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
*Peter also known as Cephas, Rock, and Simon
Peter believed that God can forgive our sins and strengthen the faith of those who love Him.
*Andrew
Andrew believed that we should go out and eagerly share the good news about Jesus Christ.
*James: Son of Thunder, James the Elder and James the Great.
James believed that we should stand firm in the face of persecution.
*John, also known as the Son of Thunder and The Revelator.
John believed that we all should study and believe in God’s future for our lives.
*Philip who came from humble beginnings
Philip believes that all of us should spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
*Bartholomew, called Nathanael by Jesus.
He believed that we are all called to test all things scripture and remain true to its principle.
*Thomas, His Hebrew name he was also known as Doubting Thomas and by his Greek name Didymus
Thomas believed that we should all be faithful to Jesus and His calling on our lives.
*Mathew, means Yahweh’s Gift also known as The Evangelist, and Levi
Matthew believed that Jesus Christ is for everyone even sinners and outcasts.
*James, the lesser. He was the son of Alphaeus, brother of Jude.
He believed that all followers of Jesus can accomplish the work of God without being in the limelight.
*Thaddeus, also known as Jude. Jerome, the theologian and Bible translator, called Thaddeus Trinomious – meaning a man with 3 names
Thaddeus believed that Jesus will reveal truths to those who follow Him.
*Simon: He lived in Galilee, and was called a Canaanite.
Simon believed that we should sacrifice politics to follow Jesus.
*Judas: He was the son of Simon, and he lived in Judah.
Judas believed and proved that not all who claim to follow Jesus are faithful to Him and His goals.
True discipleship requires strong commitment to the cause of Christ.
Mark 8:34
“Then Jesus called the crowd to him, along with his followers. He said, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me.”
*True disciples have their priorities in order.
Matthew 10:22
“All people will hate you because you follow me, but those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved.”
*As disciples we must: Check our Identity – We must look like Jesus.
John 13:35
“This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”
*Check our Integrity – We must act like Christ.
John 15:8
“When you become fruitful disciples of mine, my Father will be honored.”
*True discipleship requires strong commitment to the cause of Christ. True disciples have their priorities in order. We must look like Jesus. We must act like Christ.
