The First Disciples
Notes
Transcript
Find the “BIG IDEA” >> a. What is the author talking about? b. What is he saying about what he is talking about?
a. Recounts when John the B’s disciples followed Jesus… and subsequently, Jesus’ disciples coming to him.
b. Jesus is the center of ministry
Teacher >> Behold, the Lamb of God!"
Disciples >> heard and followed Jesus
Andrew >> Goes, tells of the Messiah, brings Him to Jesus
Find the FCF >>
1. What does the text say?
2. What spiritual concern(s) did the text address (in its context)?
3. What spiritual concerns do listeners share in common with those to (or about) whom the text was written?
[Kids Time!] (8-10 min)
The Bible is God’s true Word, all about Himself! And we know that Jesus is the image of the invisible God!
When we read our Bible, it’s like we’re reading a map that’s pointing us toward a precious treasure…
So if the Bible is ALL about Jesus, and you are reading your Bible like a map pointing you toward treasure.. who is the Bible pointing us toward?…
JESUS!
Jesus is the main thing the Bible points us to, and just like the Bible, God’s people point others toward Jesus, too!
[Introduction] (3 min)
Finally back into the Gospel of John!
>> John continues to prompt the reader to ask,
Who is Jesus?
>> Quick Recap:
First day, John the Baptist gives his testimony to those sent from the Pharisees, asking who John the Baptist is
Second day, John the Baptist sees Jesus, declares “Behold, the Lamb of God...”
Third day…
[Main Point]
Jesus is our focus
Focus >> a center of activity, attraction, or attention… the emphasis, the main point, the primary “thing”
[Introduce Text]
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 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).
This is the Word of God, let’s pray:
[Prayer]
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Are we Teachers, Disciples, or Outsiders?
>> Short answer: Usually, some combination of the three…
>> I Teach the Word… I am simultaneously a student to the Word… To those all three as well.
On this third day, John shows us these interactions between Teachers, their students, and outsiders
In this third day of John’s gospel… we see that Jesus continues to be the focus of not just the apostle John’s gospel, but also John the Baptist’s ministry.
>> John’s standing there with two of his disciples… and BLURTS out as Jesus walks by,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
>> John the Baptist is a Rabbi or teacher with disciples or students…
Teachers focus on Jesus
[Illustration]
I had an American History teacher my junior year of High School…who talked more about his political views, college football, teasing the popular kids, and heralding the ridiculously high gas prices to come in the summer then any teaching on American History…
>> Was American History my Teacher’s focus? <<
>> For us who are in Christ… must ask same question of ourselves, as teachers of Christ
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
>> Him we proclaim… This can be the most stressful part of being a pastor, preaching the Word. Constantly in my preparation, I’m asking myself, am I teaching my congregation random facts? Or am I following the map laid before us, pointing us toward the prize of Christ.
>> What is your message of teaching? What is your focal point when someone asks for help?
Marriage issues?
Advise on conflict?
Financial advise?
Do you point those you teach toward Jesus?
>> Do you cry out, “Behold the Lamb of God!”… or are you silent? Or do you misdirect?
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>> Next, we see in verse 37 our second point…
Disciples hear and follow Jesus
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
>> It’s as simple as that. They’re Rabbi teaches them of the “better Rabbi”… and the disciples believe their teacher… and follow their teacher’s teaching!
As Christians… we are both the teachers AND the disciples/students.
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
>> My favorite paraphrase, is to say, “Follow me as I follow Christ!”
>> When Jesus is our Focus, we will listen for His voice and follow it
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
>> Jesus Cont. verse 27:
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
>> It’s the sheep that lose focus of their Good Shepherd who stray into dangers away from Him…
Jesus is the Focus of John the Baptist’s ministry… His Disciples know this, and act on what John is teaching them.
>> Many say they are disciples of Jesus… but do not follow Him. They sit and listen to good men, preaching powerfully from the pulpit, and when they leave their seat, they live unchanged lives, never really making Jesus their Focus.
>> Would you make Jesus your focus? What bars you from doing so?
Don’t let another day pass without making Jesus your focus…
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Disciples bring outsiders to Jesus
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).
Can you imagine how excited Andrew was to have found the precious treasure, the Christ?
>> Andrew found his brother… he sought him out, he pursued him!
Andrew loved Simon, and wanted nothing more than to share this new found treasure with him… Are you as a disciple this way?
Now let’s talk about Simon, or Peter as Jesus nicknames him… Peter began as an outsider, NOT a disciple… and certainly not a teacher.
Maybe you’re an outsider. Maybe you don’t feel you are qualified to be a disciple, let alone a teacher of this “map” that points us toward Jesus… Maybe your sin or past towers over you, casting shadows too heavy to move toward Christ.
Peter:
Peter is observed to have interacted with Jesus many times before following him
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Zealous, excited, vocal about it!
Notably, Jesus… and flees
Jesus dies alone on a cross, buried, resurrects… and finds Peter
Peter the outsider, then the zealous disciple, then the denier of Jesus
Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
Cont. verse 15:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
[Worship Team come up]
As Teachers, as Disciples… as outsiders… We find the message and focus of our lives to be the same… That we fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith… The True and Good focus of our lives…
As Teachers, may you humble ourselves to know nothing else, but Christ Crucified. That in every aspect of our lives, we would proclaim to others, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”
As Disciples, followers of Jesus, may you seek the Lord daily in your life, making Him the focus point. Would you pursue Him in His Word, and excitedly and obediently purse the outsider that they too would be brought before the Master.
As Outsiders, may you consider your life and know that the Lord has come for one like yourself. Would you submit yourself to the Lord, find the complete joy in Him, and consider that the cost of discipleship to Jesus is so worth the treasure.
[Let’s pray]
[Conclusion]
