Significant Jesus

- INTRO-> You had one job…

o Picture Examples (9)

§ ‘People tend to NOT do a good job when they feel like what they are doing is insignificant.’

- I bet some of you feel ‘insignificant’ or feel like your life is ‘insignificant’, at least at times.

o Not talented enough | Not the best singer | Not a Bible Scholar |

Not pretty enough | Not the best speaker | Not the smartest | Not the most athletic |

§ You are NOT insignificant, your life is NOT insignificant, and your actions are NOT insignificant.

‘Tonight, we are going to read about an example of the impact our simple actions of obedience to God can have.’

+ John 1:35-42 (Jesus Calls the First Disciples)

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus[b] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

- You may have read this passage before, maybe several times, but you probably didn’t even notice Andrew in this passage…

- Andrew is in the background –> What do you know about PETER?

o A lot of people don’t want to be in the play if they can’t be the star. They don’t want to make the team if they aren’t going to start. That is NOT Andrew.

§ “Andrew is more a silhouette than a portrait… He was a missionary. He brought people to Jesus. And he had no prejudice.” – John MacArthur

o In fact Andrew is always bringing people to Jesus in the Scriptures

§ The boy with 5 loaves & 2 fish to feed the 5,000

§ People come to see Jesus in Jer. , Andrew is the one who brings them.

APPLICATION

- What did Andrew do that we should take note of? – 4 Things…

o He heard – make space in your life to be close to Jesus.

§ Read your Bible & Pray, every day.

o He pursued – he was purposefully seeking someone.

§ Who in your life are you praying for & pursuing?

o He shared – He told the story of Jesus.

§ “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ)

§ Do we understand what we have in Jesus? Share IT!

o He broughtpeople to Jesus.

§ The first thing he does is go to his brother.

§ Continued to bring people to Jesus.

We can & SHOULD be like Andrew; Because of what Jesus has done for us…

o Jesus heard-> us in our sinfulness and brokenness.

§ Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

o Jesus pursued-> us when we were far from Him and wanted no part of Him.

§ Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

o Jesus shares-> His righteousness with us, more than that it is ‘imputed’ to us!

§ 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

o Jesus brings-> us into the glory of God because of His righteousness.

§ Romans 8:15-17 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

Andrew didn’t think bringing Peter to Jesus was too insignificant.

o Andrew knew who Jesus was; so he brought OTHERS to see who Jesus was.

· STATS: “How Do People Start Attending Church?”

o Advertising – 2% | Invited by the Pastor – 6%

o A friend invited me – 86% (Churchgrowth.org)

o “Andrew is the missionary apostle. He's bringing people to Jesus Christ. And for Andrew, missionary work began where missionary work always begins, at home. Having found the Messiah, he went to get his brother. Those who are looking to bring someone to Christ need to look where Andrew looked. Look at home.” – John MacArthur

- “Many of you are an Andrew, and that’s OK; don’t diminish the importance of your role though. Who you bring to Jesus MATTERS, and so does the attitude you have!”

- You are all here because at some point, someone brought you…

“What are you seeking?”

- It seems that Andrew knew what he was looking for – disciple of John the Baptist…

o John sees Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

o Andrew drops everything & begins to follow Jesus.

§ Some of us are still holding on to other things…

· Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

o Money is a stand in here – fame, popularity, security, followers, subscribers, etc.

· Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What is keeping some of you from “Getting off the boat”?

- Your focus is on something other than “Beholding the Lamb of God” …

Behold = to gaze upon (something GREAT);

- First recorded before 900; Middle English beholden, Old English behaldan “to keep”; see be-, hold1