One Leads to Another

Hello & Greeting

Prayer Requests

Pastoral Prayer & The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

Introduction

So I’m married to somebody whois very easily influenced by social media — especially when it comes to home decor.

If there’s a new trend circulating — there’s a good chance it’s going to make it into our home, or at the very least — she’s going to do a lot of research about it.

I’ll be sitting in my recliner — minding my own business — when she’ll say something like, “So I just saw this really cute idea…” and I’m like here we go. I already know what this means.

It means we’re going to paint a room.

Or replace something that is perfectly fine.

Or suddenly care very deeply about a new set of throw pillows.

You know — there was a time that I thought once you decorated your house you were just done. …it turns out I thought wrong.

And what’s fascinating to me is how little effort it takes.

She doesn’t need a sales pitch.

She doesn’t need a long explanation.

She just needs to see it.

Somebody posts a short video — she watches it — and suddenly she’s thinking, “Oh, that’s nice. We could do that.”

And here’s the thing. It’s not because she’s gullible. It’s because influence works through exposure and relationship. You see something enough times — from people you trust or admire — and it starts shaping what you want and what you imagine.

Me

And as I was thinking about that — it hit me.

We actually understand influence really well when it comes to everything except our faith. And frankly — that disconnect keeps us quieter than we need to be.

We know how trends spread.

We know how ideas multiply.

We know how habits form.

It usually doesn’t happen through pressure. It happens through proximity.

Somebody sees something. They talk about it. They share it. And before long — others are influenced by it.

And that’s interesting — because when it comes to the Gospel — we tend to assume it works differently. We assume it requires big moments — and bold personalities — and perfect words.

But Scripture tells a different story.

More often than not — faith spreads the same way everything else does. Through relationships. Through invitations. Through somebody saying, “Hey — you should see this.”

And that’s what our current sermon series is all about. Last week we kicked this off — and we were challenged to consider the question — “Who’s Your One?”

This isn’t about hype.

It’s not about pressure.

It’s not about creating new programs.

It’s about ordinary people like us being willing to influence one person toward Jesus.

One conversation. One invitation. One faithful step.

Because when influence works — it rarely feels dramatic in the moment. It just feels like somebody cared enough to say, “Come and see.”

We

We all know how influence works.

None of us wake up one morning and suddenly change everything about our lives. Most of the time — change happens slowly — quietly — and relationally. We see something. We hear about it from somebody we trust. We watch it play out in real time. And over time — it shapes what we want and what we value.

That’s true with trends.

That’s true with habits.

And it’s true with the things we give our attention to.

Influence rarely shows up as pressure. It usually shows up as proximity.

“WE UNDERSTAND INFLUENCE EVERYWHERE” GRAPHIC

And here’s where this connects to all of us: we understand influence everywhere except when it comes to sharing our faith.

When it comes to the Gospel — many of us assume it’s supposed to be loud — or awkward — or perfectly timed. We assume we need the right words — the right confidence — or the right moment.

So instead of leaning in — we pull back.

We tell ourselves things like, “I don’t want to mess this up,” or, “I don’t want to make things weird,” or, “What if they ask something I can’t answer?”

And before we know it — evangelism becomes something we support in theory but avoid in practice.

The truth is — though — God has already wired us for influence. We influence people every day by what we talk about — what we recommend — what excites us — and what we make room for in our lives. We share restaurants. We share shows. We share ideas. We share things that matter to us.

Not because we’re necessarily trying to convince anybody — but because what matters to us naturally comes out of us.

And the Gospel is no different.

The question isn’t whether we’re capable of influencing others.… the question is whether we believe God can use our ordinary relationships to do extraordinary work.

Most of us don’t struggle with caring about people who don’t know Jesus. We struggle with knowing what to do with that care.

And that’s why focusing on our one matters so much.

Because when we think about everybody — we feel overwhelmed. But when we think about one — we can pray. We can listen. We can love. And we can be faithful.

This series isn’t asking us to become somebody we’re not — it’s inviting us to be intentional with the people God has already placed in our lives.

And if we’re willing to step into that together — something begins to shift. Evangelism stops feeling like an assignment. It starts feeling like a natural overflow of a life shaped by Jesus.

And that’s where real Gospel movement begins.

God

This morning we’re picking up where we left off last week — in the Gospel of John — Chapter 1. If you remember last week — Andrew introduces his brother Peter to Jesus.

v. 43

Look with me at Verse 43:

John 1:43 CSB

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.”

Two words — FOLLOW ME.

That’s it! No long explanation — no fine print — and no pressure tactics. Just an invitation. And Philip follows.

What’s easy to miss here is that Philip doesn’t have everything figured out yet. He hasn’t seen Jesus do any miracles. He hasn’t heard all the teaching. He doesn’t even fully understand who Jesus us!

But Jesus calls him anyway.

And that’s important — because it reminds us that Jesus doesn’t wait for people to be fully formed before He invites them to follow. He invites them into a relationship where transformation happens along the way. That’s how He invited me… it’s how He invites you. He’s not looking for expert theologians — He’s looking for willing hearts.

And almost immediately — Philip does something natural — and sets an example for us to follow as well: he goes and finds somebody.

vv. 44-45

Look at Verses 44 and 45:

John 1:44–45 CSB

44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

Think about who Philip goes to find here. He finds Nathanael.

Not a stranger.

Not a random person.

Somebody he already knows.

Somebody he already has a history with.

And that word found matters. Philip didn’t stumble into this moment. He didn’t wait for Nathanael wander into a synagogue or overhear a sermon. Philip went looking for somebody who mattered to him.

And that tells us something about how God works. Philip didn’t start with a stranger — or a crowd — he started with somebody already in his life.

Somebody he already had a history with.

Somebody who knew him well enough to trust his invitation.

Somebody who would actually listen when Philip spoke.

And that’s usually how the Gospel move.

Most people don’t come to faith because of a billboard — or a flyer — or your carefully worded argument on Facebook — even though we’re all very impressed by your opinion and the length of that comment you posted. You really showed them!

“PEOPLE COME TO CHRIST BECAUSE” GRAPHIC

People come to Christ because somebody they know and trust cared enough to speak up.

That’s why this matters so much for us.

Because God has already placed people in each of our lives who would never listen to a pastor they don’t know …even if he is very handsome… but they might listen to you.

People who may never walk into a church on their own — but might come if you invited them. People who may be skeptical — or guarded — or hesitant — but who trust you enough to hear your story.

Philip doesn’t approach Nathanael as a project — he approaches him as a person he cares about.

And notice what Philip says:

He doesn’t say, “I’ve figured everything out.”

He doesn’t say, “Let me explain all the theology.”

And he doesn’t say, “You need to get your life together.”

He simply says, “We’ve found the one.”

That’s personal language. It’s not polished. It’s not rehearsed. But it’s honest. In other words, he’s saying, “Something has happened to me, and I think it matters. And I think it matters to you too.”

Philip is sharing out of relationship and experience — not expertise.

And that’s incredibly freeing for us. Because it means we don’t have to know everything to tell somebody about Jesus. We just have to know Him.

v. 46

And look at Nathanael’s response — Verse 46:

John 1:46 CSB

46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip answered.

This is one of my favorite exchanges in all of Scripture. Nathanael hears that the Savior of the world is here — and he’s like, “He’s from where!?”

It’s like telling somebody’s He’s from Mount Vernon!

Seriously though — every place has a town like this. Nazareth had a reputation. It was small — it was unimpressive. It wasn’t known for producing rabbis — or leaders — or anything particularly noteworthy.

So when Philip says, “Jesus of Nazareth,” Nathanael basically responds, “That’s your selling point…?”

And this exchange is funny — but we still hear versions of this today.

“Church… really?”

“Christians? Aren’t they all judgemental?”

“Jesus? Seems outdated.”

“Faith? Yeah — I tried that once.”

Different words — same posture.

See — skepticism isn’t new. Doubt isn’t surprising. And questions don’t scare Jesus.

But notice what Philip does next — because honestly — this is where most of us get it wrong.

Philip doesn’t argue.

He doesn’t get defensive.

He doesn’t say, “Well, actually…”

He simply says, “Come and see.”

That’s it! No debate — no pressure — no sales pitch. Because Philip understands something deeply important: you don’t overcome skepticism by winning arguments.

“YOU OVERCOME SKEPTICISM” GRAPHIC

You overcome skepticism by inviting people into an encounter.

And that’s such good news for us. We don’t have to debate people to bring them to Jesus. We just have to simply invite them. When people have doubts — and they might — you just have to say, “Come and see for yourself.” And then let Jesus do the rest.

——

v. 47

So Nathanael comes. Look at Verse 47:

John 1:47 CSB

47 Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

v. 48

Now Nathanael’s caught off guard. Look at Verse 48:

John 1:48 CSB

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.

Jesus’ response stops Nathanael in his tracks. He reveals that He saw Nathanael long before Philip ever did. Before the invitation. Before the conversation. Before Nathanael ever took a step toward Him.

v. 49-51

And look what happens next. Everything changes! Verses 49 through 51:

John 1:49–51 CSB

49 “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then he said, “Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Nathanael’s skepticism turns into faith.

And here’s the part I don’t want us to miss:

Philip didn’t do the work here. He didn’t change Nathanael’s heart. He didn’t reveal Nathanael’s soul. Philip didn’t create faith.

Philip invited. But Jesus transformed.

That’s the rhythm of the Kingdom.

Invitation is our responsibility. But transformation is God’s work.

And Jesus closes this moment by telling Nathanael what he’s seen so far is just the beginning. There’s more coming. Greater things ahead.

Which reminds us of this truth:

“YOU NEVER KNOW” GRAPHIC

You never know what God might do on the other side of a simple invitation.

One conversation.

One prayer.

One step of obedience.

And that is how the Kingdom of God often advances.

Not through hype.

Not through pressure.

But through ordinary people saying, “Come and see,” and trusting Jesus to do what only He can do.

You

So here’s how this story turns toward us.

Because at some point — this stops being about Philip and Nathanael — and it becomes about the role we’re willing to play in somebody else’s story.

Most of us hear Nathanael’s skepticism and recognize it immediately. We’ve heard versions of that response before.

Maybe something like, “I’m not really into church,” or, “I don’t think that’s for me…”

And when we hear that — something happens inside of us. We either feel pressure to respond perfectly — or we shut down entirely.

We think, “I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I don’t want to push them away. I don’t want to make this awkward.” **Because some of us already do that without even trying…*

So we stay quiet.

But Philip shows us another way:

He doesn’t try to convince Nathanael.

He doesn’t try to fid His skepticism.

And he doesn’t take responsibility for Nathanael’s response.

He simply invites him.

And that’s the invitation Jesus places in front of us too.

You are not called to argue people into the Kingdom.

You’re not called to clean up all their doubts.

You’re not called to have every answer.

You’re just called to be faithful.

To pray for one person consistently.

To love them genuinely.

To listen well.

And when the moment comes, to say something as simple as, “Come and see.”

That might look like inviting somebody to church.

It might look like sharing how Jesus has changed you.

It might look like offering to pray for somebody when they’re hurting.

And it might just look like staying present and patient longer than you normally would.

But here’s the thing — your success in helping people find and follow Jesus has nothing to do with their skepticism.

Nathanael was skeptical — and Jesus still welcomed him. Jesus still revealed Himself to him. Jesus still transformed his heart.

Your one may have questions.

They may push back.

They may not respond in the way you hope.

That doesn’t mean you did something wrong. Your obedience isn’t measured by their response. It’s measured by your faithfulness.

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So here’s the simple question today: Who’s your one?

Who is the person God has already placed in your life that you’ve been hesitant to invite — hesitant to pray for out loud — or hesitant to speak to about Jesus?

Not everyone. Just one.

And here’s the good news: you don’t have to force the moment — you don’t have to rush the process — and you don’t have to carry the outcome.

You just have to be willing to take the next faithful step.

Because when you do — you’re stepping into a story that God’s been writing long before you ever showed up. And Jesus is very good at meeting people right where they are.

We

This approach to helping people find and follow Jesus has been the model for two thousand years.

Jesus calls one person. That person thinks of somebody they know. They offer an invitation. And Jesus does what only He can do.

It’s how the Gospel has always moved.

When faithful people move together in this way — it changes communities. So as we walk through this “Who’s Your One” series together — here’s the posture we’re choosing as a church:

We’re choosing prayer over pressure.

We’re choosing relationships over results.

And we’re choosing faithfulness over fear.

We’re not trying to reach everyone — we are committing to love the ONE God has placed in front of us. And we’re going to do that together.

We will pray for names — and not numbers.

We will celebrate obedience — and not outcomes.

And we will trust that Jesus is already at work in ways that we can’t see.

And if we live this way — not just for this sermon series — but as a people shaped by Jesus — the impact will be far greater than anything we could manufacture.

Not because we did something impressive — but because we were faithful.

So let’s be that kind of church — a church that understands the power of One.

As we go from here today — may we simply ask God this question again and again: Who’s my one?

And may we have the courage to love them well — together — because we are faithful.

Praise be to God.

Prayer

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