OUTLINE:

Thank God for What You DON'T Have!
Maybe you don't have something because you wouldn't be able to handle it. God won't "bless" you with a curse, but Satan will...'tis why so many Americans are simultaneously wealthy and antagonistic to Christ.

Glory Be To God
One of the key lessons in studying out the Apostles is NOT necessarily that God will ALWAYS use unexceptional men, but rather that He can/does use ANY kind of person, regardless of their natural abilities!

Glory Be To God
The substance of what He chooses to impart His righteousness to isn't really the issue. The issue is His righteousness being present, for it is the thing that has mass on His balance/scale. (e.g., Ro 3:22)

"for there is no distinction"
We all fail miserably to live up to God's divine standard, so it doesn't really matter what we "bring to the table" in terms of self-righteousness. God's righteousness is independent from man's.

Following Jesus
If Jesus' ministry was defined by "to seek and to save" (Lk 19:10), then His disciples ought to carry on that mission. It's that simple (2Co 11:3). Any believer can evangelize someone. Is there a more righteous thing we could ever do?

Sowing Seed
A farmer cannot sow any seed that will bear any harvestable fruit unless he sows it in the field where the fertile soil is. Likewise, as evangelists, we must sow the Gospel seed in God's field (in the lives of others). Spiritual "nerds" talk about sowing seed, but they never actually get their hands dirty.

Balance Statement
You cannot FORCE "true religion" (Jas 1:27), so please do not "pretend". God doesn't want phonies sowing the seed of "love", for the receivers might realize the insincerity and question Christ-ianity altogether.

Spreading and Living the Gospel
If we're not verbalizing the Gospel, then we are to live it for all to see its fruit. Our perfect example of this is Jesus. Since every believer's life is different, every ministry is, too!

Diversity Is Good
YOU need to pray about how God wants YOU to spread the Gospel. While you might be encouraged by others fulfilling the plan for THEIR lives, do NOT fret about being motivated differently - THAT is the beauty of God creating YOU!

Passing On Encouragement
You and I have been granted the privilege and opportunity to bring life-changing Truth to others. Don't think you can't. You have the seed of the true Gospel to sow, as well as the love of Christ.

Mt 13:23
"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." [even thirtyfold is "much fruit" (Jn 15:8)]

Context of Jesus' Ministry
• He was sent to the Jews first
• He came "to seek and to save"
• He addressed His audience in language they would understand and that would resonate with them
• He trained His successors (the apostles) to do the same

"what we have seen and heard" (Ac 4:20)
Notice that the apostles confidence pivoted on their experiences, not just what Jesus taught them verbally, but what He taught them through His example.

"Follow Me."
There was much more to Jesus' words than simply a physical act. He was calling His apostles (as He has with each of us, even) to follow His example. He then sent these men out so that others could follow their example, in Christ...and so on throughout human history. Following is an experience.

Sowing Seed
Facts about Jesus, His death, burial, and resurrection, whether believed or not, are not the issue in salvation, strictly speaking. The issue is a person's heart response to the Gospel (which includes these facts) as a result of the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Understanding the Parables
Due to the nature of parables, being word pictures meant to reveal profound spiritual lessons, it is imperative that you first understand the context of the parable (speaker (Jesus), audience, cultural norms, time, place, and circumstance).

Arrogance Is Unteachable
The apostles were teachable Jews, the arrogant Jews were not (e.g. the Pharisees).

God Gives Grace To the Humble
The apostles received "hearing" as a grace gift because they were humble enough to receive it. Beforehand, they were unable to hear, but were available (aka humble).

"Uneducated" Men Understood the Parables
Jesus' parables are unlocked, not by intellect, but by honest pursuit of the Truth. The Holy Spirit will reveal said truth to those with "ears" to hear with (Mt 13:9). The apostles prove this.

Balance Statement
The issue of Jesus' choosing the 12 is not that the apostles were unexceptional, as compared to the Pharisees/intellectuals, but RATHER, it is to establish that IT DOESN'T MATTER. Paul stands as the counterweight in our analysis, proving this same principle, but being an intellect (a Pharisee).

Balance Statement
You're no better, with no better "chance" of receiving grace whether you're dumb or smart. The point is that IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! Do NOT make a false doctrine out of any of this!!! You can have character, faith, and purity, regardless of intellect.

"Case Studies" Aren't Doctrine
While Biblical accounts of the apostles' lives are tremendously valuable, we cannot make the mistake of making doctrines out of everything we read about them. Case in point: just because the apostles were "uneducated" doesn't mean that only "uneducated" people will ever excel spiritually.

God's Sovereign Choices
The original 12 prove that God doesn't need intellectuals to spread the Gospel...and Paul proves that God can use an intellectual to spread the same Gospel.