5-21-06 Philip Ordinary Folks
Continuing our serious “Who Christ calls” 5-21-06 Philip; Ordinary Folks
We talked last week about Levi / Matthew the tax collector, sinner who got up from his sin (the tax booth) left everything and followed Christ, and had a party to share Christ with his friends.
He was an everyday Jo just doing his job, He became one of the 12 , wrote one of the books of the Bible, being what we call the 1st book of the New Testament.
We are going to talk about Philip the disciple / Apostle Actually Philip was quite ordinary. There is not a lot talked about his life before Christ other than he was from Bethsaida.
JN 1:43-50 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believea because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.”
From this is concluded that Philip was one of the first to follow Jesus and that he lost no time in persuading others to do the same.
Philip in turn found Nathanael and told him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote,” and invited Nathanael to come and see for himself. Nathanael who was skeptical asked if any good could come out of Nazareth,
By Philip introducing Nathanael to Christ we know that in the future time with Christ’s ministry on earth there will be great miracles done, and they were.
Philip gets to ask Jesus some of the ordinary questions that you & I might have asked or still would ask.
Some people may call these stupid questions, only because we know what Christ was trying to show us now, when we look at Scriptures today. Although at the time they didn’t understand and Philip was not afraid to ask. such as;
Like how are we going to feed these folks???? The 5 thousand.
Jesus; Well of course with 5 loves & 2 fish. What were you thinking?
In Jn 6:5-7 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
OR Like explain why we haven’t met your Dad yet?
Jesus: you have met my Dad, because you met me. Like don’t you know anything yet!
Jn 14:6-11 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would knowa my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
So next time Philip is not sure he should ask so he call Andy to lighten the blow of asking.
JN 12:20-22 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
You know even with all of these so called stupid questions, Philip is still one of the first missionaries that has a great effect upon the world.
Acts 8:26-27 26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopiana eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.
He also preached in Azotus to Caesarea Acts 8:40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
You see that even from ordinary people like Philip or you and I, Jesus Christ can handle our goofy, so called stupid questions. Give us new life and allow us to be witnesses of what He has done for us.
----