https://youtu.be/SAABdA7mzlc




In Search of the Thirteenth Disciple



Pastor Cary Gordan



1Corintians 12:26-31 (NKJV)



“26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers and after that miracle then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are al prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the bests gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.”



We are all a part of the body (if you have repented, have been saved, ant turned from sin)



(v.28) is a person who has a gift of healing, carrying an anointing of healing.One member suffers we all suffer, on rejoices we all rejoice.(v.27) we are also members individually, we all have something in common loved equally by our Lord, and we all have different abilities and skills. The Lord has appointed these different abilities in The Church.There are people who have grace to be apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helps, administration, and varieties of tongues.(v. 29) Rhetorical questions; No, not all can be called to have the same graces of abilities. We are all unique and different.



Let’s explore two things that will help our local Church (one that is getting stronger and healthier, and more powerful); Ephesians 4:11-16



Question: Why are we looking for the 13th disciple? Because of Judas.



Inside the congregation, we have answers and solutions to every problem; Local Church is supernatural!Go back to the scripture where Jesus is talking about communion (which is uniting individuals into one) the disciples are around Him; He then states that one will betray Him. Who betrayed Him? I was Judas.There is always the potential of someone among the body of Christ to be the next Judas.Ask yourself, Is it I? Will I betray Jesus? Will I betray The Church? Betray the unity?The Spirit of God is always looking for the 13th disciple. Some one to replace Judas.There wasn’t just one Judas, there is a spirit of Judas that was there back then is still here today; turning disciples against each other, causing division.Is it I? I’m I the next Judas.The enemy is after your thoughts and wants there to be division, offenses, isolation, for you to go missing. Then the Lord has to go into a local Church and find another disciple to replace the guy that left.Remember, Jesus wants us to be one. Satan wants to tear us apart.



“11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [e]edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:11-16







This is after the resurrection of Christ, Him sitting at the right hand of God.  First thing He did was (v.11)(v. 13) perfect man, meaning, mature. Adult maturity in God spiritually. In the fullness of Christ.(v. 14) why? That we would no longer be like children, immature.(v.16) joint supplies, referring to the blood. Blood is flowing, keeping us alive.