Are You Following Jesus?

John 1:35-51

Buzzer game.

Announcements

Fall Retreat

Student and parent meeting November 8th after services.

Packing list.

It will probably be chilly, pack warm.

Introduce new leaders.

High School FCA and middle school. FCA is not just for athletes, high school meets in the library at 7:30, middle school in the cafeteria at 7:15.

Intro

Two hunters were out hunting and come upon what appeared at first as an abandoned farm. The barn was sagging, the house was in disrepair, and there were junk cars and car parts lying around. The only thing that made it a working farm were a few chickens pecking away and a goat wandering around.

As they entered the yard they came across an old well.

One asked the other "Wonder how deep it is."

The other said, "We'll have to drop something down and listen for the splash."

They look around for something to drop down the well, but the only thing close by was an old transmission. They both hauled it over to the well and dropped it in. They counted and waited a long time for the splash. It was deep, deep one all right.

They turned to leave and saw the goat was charging at them, head down, horns headed straight for them. At the last moment they jumped aside, and the goat went right past them and straight over the side and down the well. They looked at each other in amazement.

As they started to leave, the owner of the farm came up.

They chatted for a moment and got permission to hunt on his land. The farmer asked, "Have you seen my goat?"

They said, "Your goat almost killed us charging at us.

You should have had that goat tied up."

The farmer, "I thought I had him tied up to an old transmission."

We are all following something. In that story we see the goat was tied to the transmission. And when the transmission moved, well got put in the well, the goat followed. We are tied to something that is what we follow. We are asking the question today, are you following jesus?

John 1:35–51 “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 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?” 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. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 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). The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip…”

V. 35-37

John had finished baptizing Jesus and have seen the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus. So, the next day John is spending time with his disciples. Disciple means learner. They have been learning from John about Jesus. I can imagine this conversation that is happening.

Dude you’ll never believe what happened yesterday… LOL

John proclaims who Jesus is. The Messiah the Jews have been waiting for.

Look there he is. Verse 36.

Imagine Taylor Swift walking in FBC. Or for me if Robert Downey Jr. walked in, be like wut up Iron Man!

The entire Old testament is filled with the promise of the coming Messiah, all of that anticipation is finally hitting stride, it is go time.

V. 37- They see him, and they follow him. Is more than just following. It is this stop following some guy, it is the act of turning to Jesus and following him.

Jesus sees them following and asks, “what are you seeking” V. 38.

They are looking to see where he is staying

What is Jesus’ response?

Christians are called to follow Jesus. V.39

Verse 39, come and you will see.

Jesus is inviting them, calling them to come.

Look at where and how they went.

His house that he was staying. We know Jesus never really “settled down” But he always had a place to lay his head.

This is signifying they wanted to truly get to know the Messiah.

Mark 2:15 “And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.”

Very similar to getting a meal with someone. A new friend, a date, so forth.

Then Jesus went to Galilee and sought out to find Phillip to have him follow him. Verse 43.

I want us to look at separate account of Jesus calling his disciples to show the significance. And help us understand it on a different level.

Matthew 4:18–22 “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

Mark 1:19–20 “And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.”

When Jesus is calling these disciples to follow him, there is no hesitation.

They left their livelihood to follow the Messiah

Where are you in following Jesus

You are either following or you are not.

Matthew 7:13–14 ““Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Not following

Maybe it is your family that is the reason you are not Christian.

We live in a “post everything” culture. Meaning that things that i even did and acted as a student are no longer acceptable.

The thoughts of gender.

The image of social media.

Cancel culture

The thought of i do not want my friends to think differently of me.

Maybe you think Christianity is just some rules we have to follow. Who wants to follow rules. YOLO.

The ever changing culture that you and i live in. It can be confusing to know what to do and how to be, how to act.

Jesus is the healing we need. Not a physical one, but a spiritual one.

I keep bringing up brokenness, the reason is because it is everywhere, and we do not become unbroken by worshipping a broken world.

We must have a perfect savior to nullify the brokenness of the world to save us from this world. A place where there is no more hurting, sickness, sadness, disappointment, anger, hatred, confusion. That is the promise we are given through the blood of Jesus.

They did not change who they were, they did not fix themselves, they just followed. The Lord taught them.

When we do look to Jesus, and we follow him, we are…

Christians are being transformed by Jesus. V.42

Look at verse 42

Simon, is having his name changed to Cephas which means Peter. Which means rock.

Peter went through a whole name change to be transformed.

Peter gave the first sermon filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2.

He was preaching to the same people who had Jesus crucified

Peters life was set on one certain path. Probably to take the reigns of the fishing company his father had. But when Jesus calls people to follow him, they are changed.

Be careful to not say everyone has to change their profession, but in some cases that is true.

Paul used to be a murderer of Christians.

Who is Paul? Paul did not have a name change like Peter. He is Saul that is the Hebrew. Paul is his Greek name. Similar to Alexander and Alejandro.

He was a pharisee who hated Christians. He was on the road to Damascus where he had a personal encounter with Jesus.

Story of Dave Glander or Scott Montague.

Look at where Scott is now. He is not only now a completely changed man, but he has a heart to tell others about Jesus. =

Christians are telling others about Jesus.

John told his disciples, probably his own friends,

Andrew went and told his own brother, then took him to Jesus. - Simon, then known as Peter.

Philip went and told Nathaniel.

Have we over complicated evangelism?

I think we have, look at how the disciples respond to seeing and being called by Jesus.

John 1:36 “and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!””

John 1:40 “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” John 1:41 “He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).”

John 1:45 “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.””

They were excited to tell the closest people they were used to being around who Jesus was.

Why were they so set out to tell people?

They knew Jesus was set apart and different. They knew he was the Messiah.

They did not do this perfectly. We will see that the guy that Jesus changed his name to the rock, denied Jesus 3 times.

Jesus calls us to share the gospel.

Tell others of what Jesus has done.

Look at the theme of the verses. We have to be told of Jesus to know Jesus.

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Application

Jesus is calling you to follow Him

That means dropping everything for Him and following Him where he leads

No way i should be in ministry in my own way.

If you are a Christian, Jesus should be transforming you to become more like him. If Scott said he was a Christian, but still did all of the same things, is he really being transformed? No.

The mountain of highs and lows.

Have a heart to tell of what Jesus has done in your life.

Small Group Questions

Are you following Jesus?

What are some of the ways Jesus is transforming you now?

Who is someone you can share the gospel with this week?

Ask humans to bring board games and cards to the retreat.