The Importance of One | WHO'S YOUR ONE

Introduction

We’re prone to think of “one” as small and insignificant.

One cookie? Sue Dotson’s...

One dollar? Ty & Gavyn, “Give me $10”

The Bible consistently speaks to the value of one.

One sheep, one pearl, one wayward son...

Disciples and Christ followers often overlook the value of one:

One invitation to church

One message of hope

One neighbor, one coworker, one friend, one family member.

Can you name one person who has come to Christ through your invite and witness?

The Gospel makes this all possible.

Romans 1:16 CSB

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

The Gospel is the power of God for salvation.

Not your wisdom, wit, or eloquence — The Gospel

Paul, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel”

If we’re honest, we’re ashamed/embarrassed

Sounds too outlandish

“Your tell me…” —> “Yes__”

1 Corinthians 1:18 CSB

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.

Twice now, in two different letters to two different audiences, the Apostle Paul has declared that the Gospel is the very power of God.

>>> In the opening chapters of the book of John, we find Jesus out on the streets recruiting His team—His squad—the men who would become His disciples and would eventually carry on His message to the ends of the earth.

Follow Me

john1.35

John 1:35–37 CSB

The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus.

Him? We gotta go. It’s not you…

jo1.43-35

John 1:43–45 CSB

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 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.”

John 1:40–41 NLT

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).

jn1.40-

Jesus - Phil, come follow me.

We have no record that the first thing Philip did was...

Start attending church regularly

Join a Life Group or sign up for Ministry 101

Set recurring giving

Fix his life, lay down all of his sin, and become an upstanding member of society

Finding the One

First thing Philip did —> He went and found Nathanael

Hold on Jesus, I know someone who needs to meet you! BRB

Not going to heaven empty-handed

Nate, Nathan — We’ve found Him.

Imagine how much of the New Testament would have been different if And

Fairytale - We’d expect Nathanael to immediately be convicted of sin, confess His need for Christ, repent and be saved, start attending church, etc…

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him.

John 1:46 NLT

“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

jn1.

Can anything good come from Nazareth? Church? Religion? Relationship with Jesus?

Obviously, Philip didn’t have time to sign up for Ministry 101. He’s not taken an evangelism course, memorized the Romans Road (didn’t even exists yet), studied up on apologetics, eschatology, or systematic theology.

Come and See

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 1

“Come and see,” Philip answered.

How simple is that! COME AND SEE.

Philip already understood that no amount of convincing could change Nate’s mind, but one encounter with Jesus has the power to change everything!

What would it look like if you invited your everyday people to come and see?

Come and see the new life Jesus has bought for them with His own.

Come and see the new possibilities Christ has prepared in advanced for them to experience.

Come and see how connecting to a local church gives them the ability to be apart of something so much bigger than themselves.

Compassion Fund

Missions opportunities - near and far

A place to use their gifts to spread the Gospel

A place to find connection and belong

Did Jesus rise from the dead? Come and see.

Can the church get anything right? Come and see.

Isn’t that place full of hypocrites? Come and see.

>>> We can argue and debate until we’re blue in the face, but the greatest chance we have to impact our everyday people is to invite them to come and see that the Lord is good. That His grace is sufficient and His mercies are new.

To the Ends of the Earth

Before departing Earth and ascending to heaven, Jesus left His followers with some parting instructions.

Matthew 28:19–20 CSB

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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

mt28.19-

Following Jesus death and resurrection, His followers were greatly persecuted and many were forced to scatter and leave Jerusalem.

In , we read of the exploits of another follower of Christ named Philip—must be something about that name.

Philip heads to Samaria — Probably because the Jews hated the Samaritans and he wouldn’t have to worry about them bothering him there.

acts8.4-

Acts 8:4–8 CSB

So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

This guy can’t help it. Everywhere he sets his foot he is introducing people to Christ.

Who cares that he had to flee Jerusalem…

acts8.26

Acts 8:26–40 CSB

An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.) So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.” When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will describe his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture. As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Acts 8:26-27a

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 8

26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.,p) 27 So he got up and went.

Arrives, meets Ethiopian eunuch who is reading a passage in Isaiah.

Philip asks the man if he understands. Replies, “How can I, unless someone guides me.”

Acts 8:35 CSB

Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.

acts8.35

The Eunuch would go on to give his life to Christ and Philip baptized him in a **puddle**

Acts 8:39–40 CSB

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

acts8.39-40

Little freaky…

MAP

After some sort of spiritual-teleportation, Philip ends up in Azotus and preaches the Gospel there an everyone town he enters on his way to Caesarea.

Can’t stop, won’t stop. Mama, there goes that man.

Go and Tell

Commit to Being an Intentional Witness

This will require intentionality on your part. It will not just happen. It will require accountability for you to stick to your commitment. You will need to have partners who join you in the mission. You will also need maturity as a disciple maker in order to persevere in the mission and point others to the life-transforming hope of the gospel. Those who accept Christ’s identity will also embrace this important mission—sharing Jesus with others.

You will need to have partners who join you in the mission. You will also need maturity as a disciple maker in order to persevere

We can’t invite others to come and see if we refuse to go and tell.

in the mission and point others to the life-transforming hope of the gospel. Those who accept Christ’s identity will also embrace

this important mission—sharing Jesus with others.

Try this:

Each disciple, Christ-follower invites one unchurched (unsaved) person to breakfast, lunch or dinner this year. Share your testimony, and tell the gospel story.

Invite one family in your neighborhood to your home. Choose one of your family members to tell his/her story of coming to Christ.

this year. Share your testimony, and tell the gospel story.

Invite one unchurched (unsaved) person to attend church with you. Peter invited Andrew to come meet Jesus.

» CHALLENGE | Each one, bring one.

Matthew 18:12–13 CSB

What do you think? If someone has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go and search for the stray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over that sheep more than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

mat18.12-13

If Jesus thought the one so important, shouldn’t we?

RECOGNIZE AND REPENT OF EXCUSES.

1. SPIRITUAL LETHARGY

This takes place when we fail to obey. A lack of growth inevitably leads to a diminished desire to share Christ with others.

with others.

2. GROWING INCLUSIVENESS

“All religions lead to God” is a prevailing opinion. Sometimes this view affirms Jesus is not the only way to salvation, but He can be found in other “good religions.” It’s a subtle belief that somehow “good” followers will make it to heaven outside of true Christian conversion.

but He can be found in other “good religions.” It’s a subtle belief that somehow “good” followers will make it to heaven

outside of true Christian conversion.

3. DISBELIEF IN HELL

This undermines the urgency of placing one’s faith in Christ alone. One must escape the wrath of God, and Jesus is the only refuge.

is the only refuge.

4. BUSYNESS

The unchurched need us to tell them about Jesus. This needs to be on our to-do list. What priority do you give to reaching the lost?

reaching the lost?

5. FEAR OF REJECTION

Research shows that only one in four unchurched persons will be resistant to faith discussions; 75 percent are open. The few with an antagonistic attitude are not rejecting you personally; their anger is merely a reflection of something in their past.

are open. The few with an antagonistic attitude are not rejecting you personally; their anger is merely a reflection

of something in their past.

6. A DESIRE TO BE TOLERANT

The gospel is, in some sense, intolerant. The one true God insists there can be no other gods. He is a jealous God. The Christian message speaks of a “narrow way” and “no other name under heaven” and “I am the way...”

Christian message speaks of a “narrow way” and “no other name under heaven” and “I am the way...”

7. LOSING THE HABIT OF WITNESSING

For many reasons, you may have quit witnessing. Witnessing is a discipline. It can be regained!

8. LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY

When you have someone holding you accountable, it can increase your zeal for witnessing.

9. FAILURE TO INVITE

When was the last time you invited an unchurched person to church? Have you offered to take someone to church or meet them? It’s such a simple gesture that can have a significant outcome.

meet them? It’s such a simple gesture that can have a significant outcome.

10. CHURCH NOT INTENT ON REACHING THE LOST.

It is said it takes 85 church members to reach an unsaved person. What a terrible ratio. Churches must regain their passion for the lost.

Conclusion

passion for the lost.

Will you be intentional?

1. Will you be intentional?

Will you be accountable?

Will you be accountable?

Will you be mature as a disciple maker?

Will you be mature as a disciple maker?

Altar Call & Close

Song: What a Beautiful Name