OUTLINE:

“those who were sitting around Him”
Jesus considered His true disciples his brothers, sisters, and mother (Mk 3:35). We ought to embrace this scene as our own, for if we were somehow transported back to that moment in time, He’d have looked into our eyes and said the same thing.

Ro 8:38-39 [Message]
I'm absolutely convinced that nothing — nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable — absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

“Diversion” - Wikipedia
A military deception designed to draw enemy strength away from a primary target.

Perspective
Since Satan has no real power over us, we must give it to him by means of our own free will in order for him to have any real influence over us. And, guess what? We do…often. :/

Perspective
The good thing is that Satan's system always ends in want, and it's very failure brings some people searching for the Lord and His simple truths.

Perspective on Sin and Death
When we think of sin, we must immediately think of death. When we think of death, we must think of where we came from, prior to our salvation. There is nothing more destitute and hopeless than spiritual death.

Perspective on Sin and Death
Be set free from the search for things that lead to death- the money, the relationships, the possessions, illegitimate sex- they all lead to situations of death. (Jn 10:10)

Perspective On Life
It's when we pursue the Lord Himself, first, that He can bless us with truly good things. And His joy is for real, leading to life, and life more abundantly. (Jn 10:10)

Jn 10:10 [Amplified Classic]
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Jn 10:11-13
Be careful who you follow, beginning with the shepherds, for not all are from God. A true shepherd’s heart is forever protective over His sheep.

Jn 6:68
Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”

Conviction!!!

“Lord, to whom shall we go?”
Peter's words epitomize the one thing that separated the Apostles from the rest of Jesus' "disciples" (some of which weren't yet saved - ala Jn 6:64; 1Jn 2:19) - HUMILITY! Submission/surrender are fruit of humility, the essence of God's grace in salvation.

2Co 13:5
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test?

The Fear of Unbelief
An arrogant person is deeply afraid of knowing the truth about their unbelief, so they create lots of diversions around themselves to avoid standing up to the test of faith. (ala Heb 10:39)

“By Grace, They Were Prepared”
Jesus taught His disciples to have their OWN convictions! He then gave them His Spirit to teach, encourage, and empower this. We all have the Word of- and the Spirit of Christ, by grace.

Sending the Apostles Out
- Jesus called them
- Jesus trained them (academically & OJT)
- Jesus sent them out

“By Grace, They Were Prepared”
The great work for any believer is to spread the Gospel. We all need to be literally changed by grace through faith in order to accomplish this good work. Jesus has left His precious salvation ministry to His sheep to carry on.

Leaders Are Made, Not Born
Man is born depraved, self-absorbed, egocentric, controlling, jealous, weak, etc. While he may have apparent requisite gifts, such as intellect, persuasiveness, confidence, etc., without the constitution of a leader, he is merely a counterfeit.

The Constitution of a Leader
Man is born antagonistic towards God. A true leader must first be a true follower. Self-promoters lack the constitution for the job. The Word demands testing, proof of ability, before a man ought to be ready for promotion. Arrogance never waits; humility does (e.g., Lk 2:52; 1Sa 17:33-37; Gal 1:15-18; 1Ti 3:2-7; Tit 1:7-11).