The Crossing
Surrounded | The 12
Locations & Times
The Crossing - Keokuk
610 Timea St, Keokuk, IA 52632, USA
Thursday 6:00 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
About The Crossing
The is a multi-campus, non-denominational Christian church with locations in Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa. We exist to minister in local communities, following our core values to bring people to an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Visit www.thecrossing.net to learn more about our church.
To make the most of your experience, we encourage you to follow along with the provided sermon notes, as well as take your own notes. You can also download the OneCrossing app to watch past sermons and stay connected. www.thecrossing.net/app
To make the most of your experience, we encourage you to follow along with the provided sermon notes, as well as take your own notes. You can also download the OneCrossing app to watch past sermons and stay connected. www.thecrossing.net/app
Jesus was always surrounded. Different groups surrounded Him for different reasons. There were those that were looking for hope and someone to lead them into the future. There were some that cared for Him and others who wanted to silence Him and destroy Him. While people surround Jesus for lots of different reasons, Jesus surround them for the purpose of loving and redeeming them.
When Jesus came to earth He hand picked a group of 12 men to surround Him that would eventually carry the message and vision to the ends of the earth.
There was Simon, Jesus changed his name to Peter. He was the fisherman who walked on water. It was at his mother in law’s house that the men lower the paralyzed man on the mat. He was impulsive and passionate.
Andrew was Simon’s brother. He had previously followed John the Baptist. Like his brother he was a fisherman. He was rarely mentioned in scripture, but each time he was always bringing people to Jesus. He brought his brother Peter, the little boy with the five loaves. He was also the one who took some outsiders, both Gentiles and Greeks, to meet Jesus.
There were James and John. They were also brothers, possibly even cousins to Jesus (Salome might be Mary’s sister). Jesus called these sons of Zebedee sons of thunder. They were hot-headed men with strong tempers and prideful spirits.
There was Philip, Bartholomew (Nathanael),Thaddeus and James son of Alpheus. Then there was Judas Iscariot. Judas was the only one not from Galilee.
There was Thomas also called Didymus - which means twin, who is famous for struggling to believe that Jesus was alive after his crucifixion.
There was Simon the Zealot. They called him the zealot because more than likely he belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Zealots. They were a group of poets who were bent on a revolution and looking for a Messiah to lead them in overthrowing their Roman occupiers. Simon was an extremist.
Then there was Levi, or Matthew. He was a tax collector. He was the one who was working and enriching himself off the backs of his fellow countrymen.
This was as unlikely of a group as you could have coalesced. Opposite ends of the political spectrum, financial spectrum and spiritual spectrum. They stood a better chance of killing each other than becoming spiritual heroes. However, they were united by a greater cause. They were united by Jesus.
All of the people that Jesus picked had struggles. Peter was unpredictable. He had extreme highs and lows. James and John were prideful and hot tempered. All of them got into situations where they were spiritually outmatched and confused. They spent a great deal of time struggling to understand Jesus’ message.
Jesus didn’t pick the most spiritual or the most put together to surround him. He picked normal people. People with highs and lows. People with moments of brilliance and moments of backsliding.
Jesus surrounded himself with people who had questions and doubts. Don’t let your questions and doubts keep you from fellowship, from belonging from the journey of discovery.
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