The Call of The Christ

This passage, which records Jesus’ call of His first disciples to salvation, pictures the balance of salvation taught throughout Scripture. Salvation takes place when seeking souls come in faith to the Savior who has already sought them.

1. Come and Follow ()

John 1:43 ESV

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

Who really finds who in these 3 callings of disciples???

Calling one = Andrew, Simon Peter’s Brother. who went and found Peter john 1.40-41

Calling 2 = John the Author

Calling 3 = Philip and Nathaniel

Do we find God or does God find us?

John 1:43 ESV

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus is finding them

john 1.43

John 1:39 ESV

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.

John 15:16 ESV

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

John 6:44 ESV

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Why is this important for the Christian to see and know that Jesus finds us and not that we find Jesus?

Answer: Some contemporary churches are billed as “seeker-friendly,” but the Bible says that “no one seeks God.”

Psalm 14:2–3 ESV

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

pictures God searching in vain for even one heart that seeks Him: “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

This passage is quoted in , which says, “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.’” So, if no one seeks God, who are the “seekers” that some churches strategize to attract? Plus, how are people saved if no one is seeking God?

First we must understand human nature. Because of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden (), sin entered the world and became part of human existence. Because Adam is the common ancestor of every human being, we all inherit that sin nature. We are born with a natural desire for rebellion, self-interest, and disobedience.

In , Paul says, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” In ourselves, we cannot seek after God, for the simple reason that seeking God is a good and holy thing. Sinful flesh is incapable of good and holy things

Isaiah 64:6 ESV

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” ().

In other words, the only way we can seek God is if the Holy Spirit has first stirred our hearts with a desire for God. It is God who draws us to Himself.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW WE DON’T FIND GOD BUT RATHER HE FINDS US. PRIDE, PERSPECTIVE TOWARD THOSE WHO ARE NOT CHRISTIANS CHANGES FROM THEY SHOULD GET RIGHT LIKE ME TO EARNEST PRAYER THAT GOD WILL FIND THEM AND DRAW THEM TO HIMSELF

Do we have a God who is from the wrong side of the tracks? It appears so. He chooses to Identify with those who do not have the pedigree.

underscores this truth: “By grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” Even the faith to believe for salvation does not originate within our fleshly nature. God enables the fallen human heart to seek Him, when in our own self-centered rebellion we would never do so.

Even our best efforts fall far short of the righteousness required by God (). That’s why Scripture says that no one seeks God.

We seek fulfillment.

We seek pleasure.

We seek escape from pain.

We Seek Value

We seek Signifigance

We seek Power

We seek Happiness

We seek security

But the the Bible teaches we do not seek God without God first working in our hearts to want to know Him.

We are not saved because we had the wisdom and insight to exercise our own faith and trust God.

No one wakes up one day and, on his own, decides to seek God.

We are saved when God touches our hearts and prompts us to use the faith He gives to receive His gift of salvation.

Even with the knowledge of God’s existence everywhere, people naturally choose to “suppress the truth by their wickedness” ().

Because no one naturally seeks God, God seeks us. He sought Adam and Eve as they hid in the Garden (), and He has been seeking His lost loved ones ever since.

Jesus gave this as His mission statement: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” ().

This is what we see happening in our text. IN

Matthew 4:19 ESV

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Matthew 4.19

Jesus is calling some men to himself to become fishers of men. our mission statement says Laborers. Laborers are fishers of men.

2. Come See! John 1.46-51

John 1:46 ESV

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus doesn't come from Buckhead. Buckhead in and of itself is not bad but Jesus chose to be from nowhere special.

I believe he did this to Identify with us. I believe He has a deep value on authenticity and substance over pretense and flash. He didn’t need the Identify props that we need. We lust for fame, fortune, Beauty, Intelligence, athleticism because in our fallen state we cannot grasp the supremacy of being a child of the King. We need those things to feel better about ourselves. Not Jesus. He is all substance and willing to hide his power and flash.

Nathaniel is skeptical: WE never encounter skepticism do we? No argument just come and see.

How Philip Handled Nathaniels Doubts.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). (p. 72). Chicago: Moody Press.

Nathaniel is skeptical: I’m glad we never encounter skepticism? Only all the time.

How Philip Handled Nathaniels Doubts.

No argument from Philip only just come and see.

The New American Commentary: John 1–11 (3) Philip’s Witness to Nathaniel (1:43–51)

Philip’s reaction to Nathanael’s doubt should be viewed as exemplary because it parallels Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question in the previous pericope (1:39). That response was, “Come and see,” and it points to the fact that Philip did not argue with Nathanael concerning Jesus. Instead, he issued an invitation to join him. In reflecting on this response it is well to remember that in spite of opinions to the contrary, evangelism is not usually advanced much by apologetics because apologetic arguments usually convince those who are generally already convinced or who are at the point of seeking to be convinced. Evangelism usually is advanced best by genuine, concerned, loving proclamation and invitation.

-Note: Philip did not try and argue with Nathaniel. People are never argued into the kingdom. Philip was sure and his conviction lead him to say come and see for yourself! If you see HIm you will not need my arguing.

Philip told Him to “come and see”. He did not try to argue him into heaven or faith but rather said if you see Him you will savor Him.

Illustration:

There is a story which tells how, towards the end of the nineteenth century, Thomas Huxley, the great agnostic, was a member of a house party at a country house. Sunday came round, and most of the members prepared to go to church; but, very naturally, Huxley did not propose to go. Huxley approached a man known to have a simple and radiant Christian faith. He said to him: ‘Suppose you don’t go to church today. Suppose you stay at home and you tell me quite simply what your Christian faith means to you and why you are a Christian.’ ‘But’, said the man, ‘you could demolish my arguments in an instant. I’m not clever enough to argue with you.’ Huxley said gently: ‘I don’t want to argue with you; I just want you to tell me simply what this Christ means to you.’ The man stayed at home and told Huxley most simply of his faith. When he had ﬁnished there were tears in the great agnostic’s eyes. ‘I would give my right hand,’ he said, ‘if only I could believe that.’

It was not clever argument that touched Huxley’s heart. He could have dealt efﬁciently and devastatingly with any argument that that simple, uncomplicated Christian was likely to have produced; but the simple presentation of Christ went straight to his heart. The best argument is to say to people: ‘Come and see!’ Of course, we have to know Christ ourselves before we can invite others to come to him. The true evangelist must personally have met Christ ﬁrst.

-We need to get people around Christ and the things of Christ.

Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Rev. and updated., Vol. 1, pp. 108–109). Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.-We need to get people around Christ and the things of Christ.

How do we do this? Expose them to God’s word

-God’s word : Person may say they do not believe God’s word but if e can get them reading, hearing, it they will be stabbing themselves with the truth. They may say they do not believe this is a knife but indeed it is. Doesn’t matter if they beleive it.

-God’s Spirit: He is where God’s people are. His spirit is in us. As they know us they taste of Him

-God’s People: Church is the obvious place but sometimes church is too big a step. This is where Bible Studies and friendship come into play.

God will and Must do the Supernatural work just as He did with Nathaniel.

Lets observe what Jesus does with Him

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 1

1:51 Truly, truly, I say to you is a solemn affirmation stressing the authoritative nature and importance of Jesus’ pronouncements. The expression is found 25 times in this Gospel. The two references to “you” here are plural. See heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending recalls the story of Jacob in Genesis 28 (see esp. v. 12). Jesus will be a greater way of access to God than the heavenly ladder on which angels traveled between God and Jacob (Gen. 28:12; cf. Heb. 10:19–20), and wherever Jesus is, that place will become the “New Bethel” where God is revealed. Jesus is not merely “a son of man” (an ordinary male human being), but he repeatedly (over 80 times in the Gospels) calls himself the Son of Man, suggesting the greatest, most notable son of man of all time. “The Son of Man” is thus a messianic title that refers back to the mysterious, human-divine figure of “one like a son of man” in Dan. 7:13–14, one who would be given rule over all the nations of the earth forever (cf. Matt. 26:64). The Son of Man will be “lifted up” by being crucified (see note on John 3:14), will provide divine revelation (6:27), and will act with end-time authority (5:27; 9:39).

Jesus described Nathanael as an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!

-His point was that Nathanael’s blunt, honest reply to Philip revealed his lack of deceit (he was not deceitful) and eagerness to examine Jesus’ claims for himself.

Jesus seems to have been alluding to Jacob who, in contrast to Nathanael, was a deceiver (; ).

English Standard Version Chapter 28

12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). (p. 72). Chicago: Moody Press.

Illustration:

Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Rev. and updated., Vol. 1, pp. 108–109). Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.

-Jesus tells him he saw him under the tree. revealing Jesus omniscience.

What is the connection between Nathaniel and Jacob?

Lack of Deceit in Nathaniel but much Deceit in Jacob. He tricked his own brother out of his birth right to get a blessing.

Angels going up and Down

Angels going up and Down …What is this all about?

.10-17

Genesis 28 ESV

Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth. Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

Genesis 27:35 ESV

But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.”

What helps me understand the significance of the angels going up and down in is that neither in nor in is a single word spoken to explain what the angels were doing. It doesn’t say why they were going up and down. It seem to me, therefore, that what John has done is simply capture the whole incident from Genesis to say two things. One is that Jesus is the decisive, final connection between heaven and earth. In , the angels are going up and down on the Son of Man, not on a ladder. And the other is to say Jesus is the place where people now meet God. Jacob called that place Beth-el — “house of God” — because he said, “Surely God is in this place.”

Jacob’s Dream

10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Jesus is the Gate

is a single word spoken to explain what the angels were doing. It doesn’t say why they were going up and down. It seem to me, therefore, that what John has done is simply capture the whole incident from Genesis to say two things. One is that Jesus is the decisive, final connection between heaven and earth. In , the angels are going up and down on the Son of Man, not on a ladder. And the other is to say Jesus is the place where people now meet God. Jacob called that place Beth-el — “house of God” — because he said, “Surely God is in this place.”

Consider

john 10.2

John 10:2 ESV

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

John 10:7 ESV

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

john

John 10:9 ESV

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

What helps me understand the significance of the angels going up and down in is that neither in nor in Gen is a single word spoken to explain what the angels were doing. It doesn’t say why they were going up and down. It seem to me, therefore, that what John has done is simply capture the whole incident from Genesis to say two things.

One is that Jesus is the decisive, final connection between heaven and earth. Jesus is the gate of heaven.

John In , the angels are going up and down on the Son of Man, not on a ladder. And the other is to say Jesus is the place where people now meet God. Jacob called that place Beth-el — “house of God” — because he said, “Surely God is in this place.”

John 10:2 ESV

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

John 10:7 ESV

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:9 ESV

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

Note what Nathaniel calls Jesus. He calls him the son of God. What does this mean?

Jesus’ own assertions and intimations indicate that references to Him as Son of God can be traced to Jesus Himself. At the center of Jesus’ identity in the Fourth Gospel is His divine Sonship ().

wine

At Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration, God the Father identified Jesus as His Son, in passages reflecting . He was identified as Son of God by an angel prior to His birth (, ), by Satan at His temptation (, ), by John the Baptist (), and by the centurion at the crucifixion (). Several of His followers ascribed to Him this title in various contexts (; ; ; ).

Dockery, D. S. (2003). Son of God. In C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, & T. C. Butler (Eds.), Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (p. 1516). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

3. Come and Believe ()

John 1–11: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 6: Christ’s First Miracle (John 2:1–11)

Ever since the fall, rebellious sinners have sought autonomy from God, rejecting Him and placing themselves at the center of the universe. At the heart of most humanistic systems of belief is the erroneous, rationalistic belief that people, beginning only from themselves, can construct an adequate worldview. Consequently, if modern man believes in a god at all, it is one of his own creation; as someone wryly observed, God created man in His image, and man has returned the favor. God rebuked such proud, sinful arrogance in Psalm 50:21, declaring, “You thought that I was just like you.”

Perhaps nowhere is fallen man’s sinful propensity for creating God in his own image more clearly illustrated than in the so-called “quest for the historical Jesus” that dominated nineteenth-century liberal theology. Based on their anti-supernaturalistic presuppositions, the critics

This is the First of 7 miracles in the gospel of John. The miracles are sign post pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. A sign pointing to the coming of God’s Kingdom promised in the OT. Like driving to disney world and seeing a sign that says 140 miles to Orlando.

Many in the historical Jesus movement have come up with other explanations that deny the miracles.

If Jesus was God then Miracles will follow. That only makes logical sense. So the issue once a gain is

Jesus said “who do you say that i am?”

Many saw him as the boy from Nazareth. Many saw Him as a great prophet. Good man.

That is the ultimate question. Who do you say that He is? Could God have created all that we see and desire a relationship with us?

the ultimate question. Who do you say that He is? Could God have created all that we see and don’t yet see in the universe or the depths of the sea and still desire a relationship with us?

The Bible says an Emphatic “YES” !

John 10:10

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Look at

John 2.11

John 2:11 ESV

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

The disciples came and followed, they saw, and then believed!

Will you come follow, come see, come believe?

Application:

Can you commit to follow him. If you were but hae not been will you recommit yourself to follow him?