Encountering Jesus

Two country guys meet at the Cracker Barrel, and they get to talking. The First man says "I failed my driving test last week".

The second man asks "What did you fail on"?

"Road signs" replies the first man. The examiner asked me "What sign do you expect to see when driving down a country lane?".

I replied "Fresh farm eggs – $1.29 a dozen."

You meet some people who absolutely change the direction of your life and you meet some people who don’t. Today we are going to talk about how Jesus changes the lives of those He comes in contact with.

Historical/Cultural Context -

The Gospel of John was written between 90 AD and 100 AD. Scholars also believe that John wrote the three Epistles and the book of Revelation around the same time-frame as he wrote this Gospel. The Gospel of John was written after Matthew, Mark, & Luke had been written and circulated. John has been dubbed by most scholars as “The Spiritual Gospel.” In it we find profound truths and deep meaning. He sticks to the behind-the-scenes spiritual truths of who Jesus is, and what He is about.

Biblical Text -

John 1:35–51 NKJV

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone). The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Encountering Jesus Changes Your Inner Man & Transforms Your Life.

Life Point- Encountering Jesus Changes Your Inner Man

Exegetical -

John 1:35–42 NLT

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

Homiletical -

The day after John was standing with two of his disciples and Jesus walk up and He cries out again, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”

The day earlier he had called him the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” This time he shortens it.

You ever wonder why?

It is because John’s disciples had been with him and heard him preach and teach so they knew the significance of what he said.

Then what happens?

The disciples who were with John, followed Jesus.

They knew He was the Messiah, the savior and followed him.

Increasingly today this does not happen anymore. No more are people raised in a church. Did you know most of Gen Z has never darkened the door of a church? If they have it has been for a wedding or a funeral and that’s it.

Americans today don’t know what they don’t know

Today it is common to here, “you gotta get em lost before you can get em saved.”

What does that mean?

It means most people today don’t understand the need for a savior from their sins. You gotta take them all the way back to Genesis and then point out the sorry state of our world is because of sin and then you can take them to the Gospel, The Good News.

So when we witness I say start the definition sin (because they don’t understand the word) and then tell them about how sin messed everything up, including them. From there, move into Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 NKJV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Then take them to Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 NKJV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now hit them with Romans 5:18

Romans 5:18 NKJV

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

Romans 10:13 NKJV

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Now give a brief testimony. How you were before Jesus came into your life, what happened at conversion, and how you are now.

That is a witnessing plan. It is a little more in-depth, but if your not comfortable with it, just give them your testimony. The point is to share Jesus so that they can follow Him just as John’s disciples did on the road.

Jesus asks them a simple question “what do you want.” They want to know where He is staying.

Why do they want this information?

Because they had just been told who the messiah is and they want to spend time with Him.

Does He respond with a No? Does He tell them to take a hike and that he doesn’t have time for them? No, He doesn’t. He invites them to spend some time with Him. Jesus wasn’t too busy for people actually seeking Him out.

You know what? He is not too busy today either. You can go to Him and spend time in His presence through prayer and the Word of God.

Andrew was one of the disciples that followed Him and spent time with Him that afternoon. So the next day He grabs Simon and he says something like “dude we found the savior!”

So they go to meet Jesus and when they get their, Jesus looks intently at Simon.

You ever have someone do that to you? They just stare in your eyes intently and make you really uncomfortable? Well imagine how Simon feels at this moment when he comes face-to-face with Holiness. He probably wanted to jump out of his skin.

Then Jesus opens his mouth and is like “I know your name is Simon son of John, but from now on your name is CEPHAS, which means Peter, which means a stone or rock.”

Notice Simon Peter didn’t protest this, nor did he say “you can’t change my name”

Why?

Because he had come face-to-face with God himself.

Who is going to be indignant in this situation? I’d be like, ok Jesus is there anything else you want to change? My hair color, language, speech patterns? You go right on ahead. You are the potter and I am the clay.

Romans 9:20–21 NKJV

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

The point is and is still the point today. When you come into the presence of Jesus, you are never the same again. You are changed.

Have you met Jesus? Has he changed you? were you one way and then you had an encounter with Him and now you’re a different person?

If not them you need to ask yourself, “Am I Saved?” I mean really plum those depths of your heart and find the truth.

Have you met Jesus and had an experience with Him that changed you, but now you feel stale? Then you need to plum the depths of your heart and cry out to Him from the bottom of your heart and ask Him to continue to change you to be more like Him.

Life Point - Encountering Jesus Transforms Your Life

Exegetical -

John 1:43–51 NLT

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown. Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

Homiletical -

The day after Simon is renamed to Peter Jesus decided he wants to go to Galilee. Jesus says to Phillip, who was from the same city as Andrew and Peter, to come follow him.

Philip went to look for Nathaniel and let him know that the messiah is here.

Now Nathanael, like so many today, makes a wise crack and says “can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Again, this is a time of a lot of false Messiah’s and religious teachers. So Philip makes the wise crack about Nazareth. Nazareth was not exactly a rich city and it had its’ detractors, so the context of the joke makes sense.

Jesus gives Nathanael an interesting welcome and says “Now here is a genuine son of Israel-a man of complete integrity.”

Now depending on Nathanael’s character Jesus is either ribbing him or truly letting him know that He knows his character. Some will disagree with me, but I think Jesus was doing a bit of both. He knew all about Nathanael and said he was a man of complete integrity. Since all of us are born in sin and no one is of absolute holy character. I think this response carries with it Nathanael’s reputation and a small ribbing for his joke about anything good coming out of Nazareth.

This tells me that it is alright to have fun in church. You know Jesus had a sense of humor, you know that right. The whole parable about the plank in someone’s eye was actually Jewish humor at the time. He used humor to get His point across.

So Nathanael says “How do you know about me?”

Jesus, being the second in the trinity, shows his divinity by saying he saw him under the fig tree while Philip searched for him.

Nathanael is shocked and knew that no one else would ever be able to see this except the Son of God, the Messiah.

Then Jesus is like, you think thats good; just wait and see what else is going to happen.

So what does this mean to us?

1) Our God never changes

Hebrews 13:8 NLT

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If he could see Nathanael, he can see you and knows all that you are going through. Just hang in there and see the hand of God at work. He doesn’t normally do things in our time frame but in His own time. It will be the right time because He is God He sees and knows your hardships and He will either stop them or walk with you through them.

2 Peter 3:8 NLT

But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.

2) When God’s hand does move it usually shocks us. We are like the man who said I believe, help my unbelief.

Mark 9:17–27 NLT

One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

There are many times we pray and pray and pray. Then when God comes through on something we can’t believe it, even though we have been praying about it. This shouldn’t shock us because we have been believing God to do something if it is in accordance with His will.

Have you ever been there? Lord I believe, Help my unbelief. I have.

We prayed for a man who was having some kidney problems and the doctors did images and said a particular artery was plugged up and needed cleaning out. We prayed as a church and laid hands on him and do you know what happened?

The man never had the surgery. Why? Because the doctors took some more images and low and behold he had grown a second artery. Which the doctors said was impossible, but it is documented proof that it actually happened!

Our God is still in the miracle working business today!

Jesus still heals the sick. Why does He heal one and not the other? I don’t know I am not God. But remember Paul had the thorn in the flesh that he prayed to be removed three times, but God would not remove it. It is up to God as to what He does and does not do. Who are we to question God?

Life Principle - Encountering Jesus Changes Your Inner Man & Transforms Your Life.

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