Phase 1: Invitation (Hear & Respond)
As You Go • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
I want to thank you all for praying for Bitrus and I last week as we were in Kenya. It’s so great to be part of a church on mission. We’ve already sent a team to NYC. We’re going to send a Mission Builder’s team to WV this summer. We’re sending a team to Czech Republic. LOOK AT ANNIE! Yesterday—prison ministry. TONS of our folks out there loving and serving and ministering to these young men.
Question: What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Is that just what we call the 12 guys who followed Him in the gospels? Can WE be disciples? Does being a disciple simply mean “being saved”? Does it mean going out and ministering to the lost in Jesus’ name?
This morning, we’re starting a brand new 12 week series. The purpose of this series is to explore discipleship—what it means to follow Jesus. Now, we won’t cover every single facet of discipleship (so let me say that up front) but we will see what following Jesus looks like individually, what following Jesus looks like in the community of the Church, and what following Jesus looks like on mission.
THREE FOUR-WEEK SECTIONS — Invitation, Multiplication, and Replication.
Our church is growing numerically. I think that’s pretty obvious—especially to a lot of us who have been here a while. Numerically—in attendance—we’re hitting numbers that Taylor Road hasn’t hit in a long time. I’m so thankful. I’m so grateful for every single person that’s been a long-time and faithful member here. I’m so grateful for new members and for those of you who are visiting and are on the fence about joining (what’s taking you so long???)
But…my PRIMARY goal here as your pastor and our PRIMARY goal as a church is not to be a church that has thousands of ATTENDERS. Now…I do pray and plead with you that you keep inviting people and that you keep bringing unchurched friends and family with you. And I hope and pray that, numerically, we grow to a point where we’ve got to have an additional service. Because that means we’re reaching people!
But…our primary—Jesus’s goal for HIS church—is to have a church filled with DISCIPLES. There’s a difference between mere “attenders” and “disciples.”
You see, as you read the four gospels, there are typically two groups of people—the CROWDS and the DISCIPLES. The question for you in this series—which group are you in?
Here’s another thing—we’ve just come out of a year (2023) in which we as a church accomplished and celebrated a lot of awesome things. We paid off the debt. That was the biggest thing, right?
WARNING AGAINST COMPLACENCY
The mission is not over. The mission has not changed. It’s actually intensified. The mission matters most. The greatest danger to our church is missional drift. Our mission/our purpose as a church and as disciples of Jesus is the Great Commission. Jesus says…
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
“As you go…”
Craig Etheredge, in his book, “Bold Moves,” says— “Jesus never told us to build the church. That’s his job. Jesus told us to make disciples. That’s our job.”
What is a disciple? A fully devoted follower of Jesus who is developing into Christlikeness and who lives sent on Jesus’ mission to make more disciples.
INVITATION
So, as we begin this 4 week “Invitation” phase of our series, we’re really going to focus on one disciple in particular that doesn’t get a whole lot of fanfare or coverage in the NT—Andrew.
Set up the text—John the Baptist is testifying.
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.
This morning, as we begin this 12 week journey, we start at the beginning of what it means to be a disciple.
Following Jesus (being a disciple) begins with hearing, believing, and obeying Jesus and His gospel.
In other words…becoming a disciple of Jesus (a fully devoted follower who develops into Christlikeness and who lives SENT on Jesus’ mission to make more disciples)—begins with a decision.
And this decision begins with an invitation. Before the decision is made—an invitation is offered. Jesus has a very specific and intentional way of growing His church—disciples who make disciples who make disciples.
RAINBOW VACUUM — I’VE NEVER SEEN A COMMERCIAL ON T.V.
JOHN TESTIFIED
As we’re introduced to John the Baptist, here in John chapter 1, he has spent 3 days (probably longer but that’s what the author focuses on, here) in the wilderness reminiscent of an OT prophet—dressed in camel skins, eating locusts, and proclaiming that the Messiah was coming so everybody better get right with God. So, on day one of his testimony, Jewish religious leaders come from Jerusalem and question him.
On day two, he sees Jesus, points to Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and he baptizes Jesus…Now, in our text this morning, we’re on day 3.
And, the apostle John, who wrote this book, tells us that John the Baptist had some disciples who had been with him and had heard and seen all that John was testifying about. One of those disciples was Andrew.
Now, if by “disciple of John the Baptist,” the author is meaning “disciple” in the traditional sense of the word, then it’s safe to assume that Andrew has had a relationship with John the Baptist. He’s been following him. He’s been taught by him. They’ve got a friendship/a relationship. We don’t know how they met. We don’t know their history together but what we do know is that Andrew was a “disciple” of John the Baptist.
John’s message/his testimony was simple—JESUS. ONLY JESUS. His message was all about Jesus and John the Baptist knew that HE was not the one Andrew (or anyone else) should be following.
John wasn’t interested in building his following. There wasn’t any jealousy or trying to convince Andrew to continue following him as he talked about Jesus. No. He wanted Andrew to follow JESUS!
The Gospel Above All
If you’re saved/if you’re following Jesus…you’re doing so because someone shared the gospel with you. I want you to take a second and try and think back to the earliest memories you have of someone sharing the gospel with you. Maybe it was your parents. Maybe it was a Sunday School teacher when you were a child. Maybe it was a friend at school or in college or at work. Maybe it was a pastor.
Would you just take a second and thank the Lord for that person…for their faithfulness? You’re here today because someone invited you. Now…there’s someone you know who doesn’t know Jesus. It’s possible that they’re NOT here today simply because they haven’t been invited.
ANDREW SAW & HEARD
verse 37—the two disciples “…heard him say this…” They heard John’s testimony. They heard the message about Jesus.
When the Bible talks about “hearing” it doesn’t mean simply the auditory reception of words. It means to “receive.” When Jesus taught, he would often say, “He who has ears let him hear.” He would oftentimes say to the Pharisees, “Have you not heard…” This, actually, would have been an insult to them.
In our sin, in our separation from Christ, we are spiritually deaf.
This testimony of John about Jesus was not just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, statement about Jesus. John is not just simply pointing Jesus out to the disciples as if to say, “Yeah, there is that guy.”
No! This is a Messianic revelation of the Son of God. John says, “Behold the Lamb of God.” In verse 29, John the Baptist testifies about Jesus in the same way—and I believe Andrew was present for this witness, too—but John adds this— “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Let me circle back to something I said a few minutes ago—Following Jesus (being a disciple) begins with hearing, believing, and following Jesus and His gospel.
Jesus & His gospel—the good news announcement that Jesus is King and that He takes away sin.
There are two things happening here: Andrew beholds and Andrew hears.
Seeing & hearing = faith // revelation from God. God is the one who opened Andrew’s ears & eyes.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
You parents have probably been talking with your kids about something important and you’ve said, “Are you hearing me?” there’s a difference between listening and hearing. Or, maybe you’ve said, “Do you see what I’m saying?” Do you understand? Do you see the point?
>>Barriers<< The way we live…do our claims match our lifestyle?
It’s not our job to save people. We can’t produce faith in someone. Our job is to witness/testify about Jesus. God’s job is to open eyes/ears and give faith.
ANDREW BELIEVED
What Andrew heard prompted him to respond. The gospel is all about an invitation and a response. That’s why each and every week we have a time of public response.
The gospel is not simply information about Jesus…or even about what God has done. It’s not simply information about heaven and hell and how to get to heaven and escape hell.
Notice that the text doesn’t just stop at “The two disciples heard him say this.” Unfortunately, this is where many people in the church today have stopped. We’re good hearing what you’ve got to say about Jesus. We’re good coming and sitting in these nice comfortable seats washing, rinsing, and repeating week after week—keeping Jesus and His radical life changing gospel at arm’s length.
So much “easy believism” in Christian/Church culture.
Last Sunday morning, I had the privilege of preaching in a church in the east part of Nairobi. This church was in the heart of a slum. The pastor’s name is Patrick—such a godly man.
- Sold their house to give money to the church
- Threatened by neighbor
The gospel is an invitation. It’s an invitation to believe the good news that Jesus is King and that He takes away sin for those who believe…and to repent of your sin, take up your cross, and follow Jesus.
Your chance to respond today…
EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T KNOW JESUS.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.