Discovery Fellowship Church
The Ubiquitous Dozen
• Ancient Egyptian sundial had 12 divisions
• Egyptian calendar had 12 lunar cycles
• 12 months in a year
• 12 hours on the face of an analog clock
• 12 inches in a foot, 12 eggs in a dozen
• 12 ounces in pharmacist’s & jewelers pound
• We have 12 cranial nerves
• 12 ribs in the average human body
• 12 biological systems in the human body
• The weight of our blood is 1/12 of our body
• 12 Greek gods in the Olympian pantheon
• Roman law (Lex DuodecimTabularum) or 12-Tables
• Our legal system jury-box contains 12 people
• 12 men have walked on the moon
• Force-12 on the Beaufort Scale is the maximum wind speed of a hurricane
• Buddhism teaches 12 stages on the Wheel of Life
• The first recorded words of Jesus at the age of 12
• Alcohol Anonymous has 12 steps, 12 traditions, and 12 concepts
• The United States of America is divided into 12 Federal Reserve Districts
• 12 basic hues – 3 primary colors, 3 secondary colors, and 6 tertiary colors
Why did there have to be 12 Apostles?
To launch a new era of the Good News of Jesus to a lost world, what else was needed?
Acts 1:12-26 ESV
Big Idea…
To launch the good news of Jesus to a rebellious people and a lost world, the movement needed a team of “Apostles”
We Need to Know…
1. Jesus prepared “apostles” for the launch
Luke 6:12-13 NASB1995
DISCIPLE = Learner
(Mathetes / Talmid)
APOSTLE = Agent / Sent One
(Shalíach)
Acts 1:16-17, 21-22 NASB1995
2. Jesus launched toward Israel a 12-man team
The Biblical Dozens
• The 12 Tribes of Abraham
• Jacob’s prophecy of his 12 sons (Gen. 49)
• Moses’ altar of 12 pillars (Ex. 24:4-8)
• The breastplate with 12 precious stones (Ex. 28)
• The Tabernacle: 12 plates, basins, dishes, bulls, lambs, & goats
• The 12 spies (Num.13)
• The Ark & 12 men (Josh.3:12)
• The Memorial of 12 stones (Josh.4:1)
• Jesus’ 12 Apostles (Matt.10:1-5)
• 12 baskets of fragments (John 6)
Is God “done” with Israel?
(2:14) “Men of Judea, let this be known to you…”
(2:22) “Men of Israel, hear these words…”
(2:29) “Brothers, I confidently say to you…”
(2:36) “Let all the house of Israel therefore know…”
3. To broaden the reach, Jesus launched Paul, the “apostle to the Gentiles”
Acts 9:15-17 NASB1995
Who was Paul?
A Slave of Jesus Christ…
Romans 1:1
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,…
A Specific ambassador…
Galatians 2:7
But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised
4. The Gospel launches from the foundation of Jesus & His apostles
Acts 2:41-42 NASB2020
Ephesians 2:19-20 NASB1995
3 Things…
1. The importance of leadership which is intimate with Jesus & filled with His Spirit
Acts 4:11-14 NASB1995
2. The revelation through the apostles is the truth of the New Testament
John 14:25-26 NASB1995
John 15:26-27 NASB1995
John 16:12-15 NASB1995
3. The example of the apostles reminds us that disciples give their lives for the mission
Acts 20:22-24 NASB1995
“No Reserves”
“No Retreats”
“No Regrets”
William Whiting Borden