06AM April 9 John 1 34_51

April 9, 2006—Morning Worship

Palm Sunday

The Testimony of Four Men

Means at the Master’s Use

John 1:34-51

Intro:  Jesus made His way into Jerusalem on what we call “Palm Sunday” w/His “triumphal entry” a long time ago, to the cheers of multitudes. Later that same week, He was crucified for crimes He did not commit. He died for the sins of all those through out all time who would believe. But He arose from the dead & He is still alive; He is still seeking souls, & He wants to enter your heart on this Palm Sunday.

It's exciting to see people come to know Jesus as their Lord & Savior. There's only one way to God—it’s through Jesus; but the Lord uses many methods to bring us to Himself.

[I read the story a doctor who went to church out of a sense of duty. One day his son asked him, "Daddy, why don't we have any Bibles at home?" & God used that question to pierce that man's conscience & ultimately to save him.]

Our text today gives four individual cases that teach us different ways in which people come to Christ. God uses different ways b/c we are all different. We have different personalities, different interests, different hobbies, different attitudes, different abilities & different perspectives. So God uses those differences to lead us to the knowledge of the truth about salvation. He uses different ways to draw us to the one & only way of salvation – by grace through faith in Jesus Christ!

Today, we’re going to deal w/one section of our text at a time. So let’s begin by reading…

John 1 34 & I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." 35 Again, the next day, John stood w/two of his disciples. 36 & looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him speak, & they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, & seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come & see." They came & saw where He was staying, & remained w/Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

- The 1st means by which God draws people is that…

1. Salvation Comes Through The Preaching of the Word of God. (vv. 34­39)

- I don’t believe I’d be exaggerating by saying that I’ve quoted the verse 1,000’s of times over the years.

Romans 10 17 So then faith comes by hearing, & hearing by the word of God.

- It was in John 1:29 that John the Baptist told the multitudes, 29 The next day [when he] saw Jesus coming toward him, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

- & in v. 36 of our text, speaking to 2 men, he said the same thing.

- & so we see…

    A. The Purpose of John the Baptist.

- John only had one song to sing; only had one note to play; only had one word to share; only had one thought in mind.

- John the Baptist was to point people to Jesus!

- & he did it both publicly & privately.

- Wherever John went, his purpose was to point others to Jesus.

- & I would submit to you today that each one of us has the same identical purpose.

- Our message is the same today as the message that John proclaimed!

- Behold the Lamb of God!

- Look intently upon; scrutinize; inspect; examine thoroughly & closely the sacrificial Lamb – the Son of God given for you!

- We are to go into the highways & hedges, the towns & villages, the metropolitan complexes & every city everywhere!

- Our purpose is to point people to Jesus – through our words & our actions; through our love & our differences.

- But most importantly, we are to point them to Jesus through the word of God!

- Faith is birthed in the hearts of men & women & boys & girls by the Spirit of God implanting the word of God into their fertile hearts as we share the precious seed of the gospel message.

- Some of you who are hearing the gospel today need to come to the Lamb of God who can take away your sins.

- & not only does the Bible give us the purpose of John the Baptist, but also…

    B. The Power of John the Baptist.

- You see, salvation comes through the preaching of the word of God!

- If John the Baptist had shared his heart; his wisdom; his knowledge; his understanding & his thoughts – it wouldn’t have made an eternal impact!

- Anyone who stands up under the auspices of preaching the gospel MUST declare the word of God!

- The OT prophets stood up under pressure & persecution & said “Thus saith the LORD!”

- & that’s the power behind any real message!

- That’s the power behind any true gospel presentation—it’s not you – it’s God working through His word & your obedience!

Romans 1 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek.

- The power to preach; to witness; to share; to proclaim is in the message not in the messenger!

- Salvation comes through the preaching of the word of God!

- & that preaching, that word must be used in every true witness for the Lord!

- & speaking of witnessing, the 2nd means by which God draws people is that…

2. Salvation Comes Through Pointed Witness about the Savior. (vv. 40­42) 40 1 of the 2 who heard John speak, & followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He 1st found his own brother Simon, & said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 & he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

- This text introduces us to Andrew.

- Whenever he appears in the Bible, he's bringing someone to Jesus & that…

    A. Must be done Personally. (vv. 41-42a) 41 He 1st found his own brother Simon, & said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 & he brought him to Jesus.

- In John 1:41, Andrew brings his brother Simon Peter to Jesus.

- In John 6:8­9, it was Andrew who brought the lad w/the 5 loaves & 2 fish to Jesus

- & in John 12:22, it was Andrew who brought those certain Greeks to the Lord who said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

- Andrew was always bringing someone to Jesus! What a testimony! Commitment!

- But Andrew never did a better day's work than when he brought his brother Peter to Christ.

- In the Book of Acts we see Peter standing before thousands & preaching the gospel.

- From our human perspective, we would say that Peter never would have been there had it not been for Andrew's personal witness.

…

    B. Must be done Carefully. (v. 41b) 41 …& said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).

- Anytime we give a pointed witness it MUST be about the Savior—the Lord Jesus Christ!

- Mohammad can’t save! Confuses never had an eternal impact on anyone! The Reverend Sun Yun Moon has no everlasting power! Joseph Smith never died to save your soul or anyone else’s!

- There is only 1 Savior & every true witness MUST be the revelation of Jesus Christ to the lost heart & mind!

- We must be careful to faithfully represent the gospel of Jesus Christ; His Person & His completed work!

- I don’t know about you, but I am overwhelmed when someone responds to the gospel as I preach or as I witness!

- I’ve heard reports from Pastor Tet in Romania that people have come to faith in Christ after our mission trips & I rejoice over that!

- I don’t know if they believed as a result of the message I preached or the lessons of the VBS or the personal example of our team members!

- & it really doesn’t matter! I rejoice in knowing that people have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!

- & I feel a sense of anticipation when God allows me to be part of someone coming to Jesus b/c you never know if that one you've helped bring to Christ is going to be the next great world evangelist!

- It is the pointed witness of the truths of the gospel about the Savior that God uses to draw people to Himself!

Romans 10 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? & how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? & how shall they hear w/o a preacher? 15 & how shall they preach unless they are sent?

- Jesus has sent us through the command of the Great Commission to personally & carefully share a pointed witness to Him as the only Lord & Savior!

- IOW people must come face to face, so to speak, w/Jesus.

- & speaking of that, the 3rd means God uses to draw people is that…

3. Salvation Comes Through a Personal Encounter with the Savior. (vv. 43­44) 43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, & He found Philip & said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew & Peter.

- Jesus approached Philip w/o any human assistance, intervention or instrumentality.

- The verse just says, "Jesus found Philip." That’s it—the direct approach!

- I think Philip may have been shy, & the Lord came to him as he was, saying, "Philip, I want you to follow Me." & he did!

[Dr. David Jeremiah, who pastors the Shadow Mountain Church in California, once gave this illustration. He said, “I've talked to people who have come to Christ like that. I remember a young man who got saved at three o'clock in the morning. Right in the middle of the night, he sat up in bed & said, "I've got to be saved." God isn't confined to bringing people to Christ on Sunday in a church building or on a Thursday night visit. God can encounter a person individually & just say, "Follow Me."

& I know some of you were not in a church service or even a church building when you came to faith in Christ. Some of you were at home, some in bed, some in at a business, some in a seminar. God is not confined to a building or a time table! He is the Sovereign God of salvation who can & does have personal encounters w/people!]

- These vv. tell us that…

    A. God is Searching out those who will be saved. (v. 43) “…He found Philip…”

- Philip did not find Jesus; Jesus found Philip. Philip was not even looking for Jesus!

- Oh, he may have been aware of the promise of the coming Messiah, but he wasn’t searching for Him. It was not his passion in life.

- But Jesus is searching for the lost! His passion is, as He said in…

Luke 19 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek & to save that which was lost."

- Jesus came to seek out the lost; to draw them to Himself; & to eternally save them!

- Jesus burst forth into time & paid the sin debt for all who would believe!

- & today, just as in Bible times, Jesus is searching out those who will be saved.

- He knows where they are; they are not lost physically – but they are lost spiritually!

- So Jesus is drawing them; wooing them; gaining their undivided attention on Himself!

- & as those who are lost see the majesty, glory, honor, grace, mercy & love of God as described in the Scriptures, they see themselves as lost & undone w/o Jesus!

- & it’s at that point that…

    B. God is Speaking to those who will be saved. (v. 43) 43b “…He found Philip & said to him, "Follow Me."

- What’s the 1st thing you do when you find something that was lost? You say, “There it is!”

- & the 1st thing Jesus does when a lost soul comes to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior is to say, “Follow Me.”

- In the original language, that is a present tense command & means that Jesus was saying to Philip, “You must always walk w/Me as My disciple.”

- & the Lord Jesus has said the same thing to each & every one of us who are His followers. – You must always walk w/Me as My disciple!

- Jesus is not looking for “fair weather friends!” He doesn’t need “casual Christians!”

- Jesus is looking for & calling those who will be dedicated disciples!

- He said “Follow Me.”

- That means follow Me in the good times; follow Me in the hard times; follow Me when your world is crumbling around you.

- It means those who are truly saved are to always follow their Lord!

- We are to always honor Him; serve Him & glorify Him b/c He found us & saved us!

- & so salvation comes through the preaching of the word of God; it comes through pointed witnessing about the Savior; it comes through a personal encounter w/the Savior & the 4th means God uses to draw people is that…

4. Salvation Comes Through a Powerful Testimony from a Friend. (vv. 45­51) 45 Philip found Nathanael & said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, & also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 & Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come & see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, & said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered & said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered & said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered & said to him, "B/c I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 & He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, & the angels of God ascending & descending upon the Son of Man."

- The fourth case proves the power of a friend's testimony.

- Philip told Nathanael, in v. 45, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, & also the prophets, wrote…”

- Nathaniel's response was kind of interesting: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

- Philip didn't argue or explain. He just said, "Come & see" (v. 46).

- That’s what friends are for—to help each other & to instruct each other & to care for each other.

- Philip cared for his friend Nathanael & invited him to “Come & see Jesus.”

- & when it’s all said & done; at the end of the day, that’s all we need to do. We just need to invite our friends to “Come & see Jesus.”

- You can invite them to church; to our special activities; to Bible study; to our various age group meetings.

- You can share w/them what you know to be true about Jesus just like Philip did.

- You may encounter some opposition or even questions from them.

- & all you need to do is to invite them to “Come & see” for themselves.

- Let them come under the influence of the Scriptures.

- Let them be influenced by your brothers & sisters in Christ.

- Let God do the work that only He can do as you are just faithful to share & invite them to “Come & see.”

[I recently read the story of a pastor who went to visit in the hospital one night. He visited a young patient, & her first words were, "Pastor, I appreciate your coming to visit, but I'm an atheist, & I don't want to talk about any spiritual stuff." & He said, "Well, that's alright. Could I ask you one question?" She said, "Sure." He said, "Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you can say that you know for certain that if you were to die tonight, you'd go to heaven?" She said, "No, sir, I haven't. & He said, “You know, that really frightens me. So, could I help you understand how I came to know that?" She said, "That'd be great." So that pastor spent the next hour going through the gospel, & she gave her life to Christ. The word atheist never came up again in the conversation.

That pastor said, “I learned long ago that, rather than spending my time trying to argue people to Christ, the main thing is to say, "Just come & see. Let me tell you what Christ has done for me."

If you're saved today, find somebody & tell him what Jesus has done for you.]

Conclusion:  Do you need Christ today? As John the Baptist said so well, so long ago, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!" Are you already a Christian? Then who else are you bringing to Christ? To whom can you say, "Come & see"?

Invitation:  As God looks at your heart today, what do you sense Him saying about the condition of your eternal soul? Are you ready to go should this be your final day? If not, would you cry out to God in prayer & repent of your sin & place your faith in Jesus Christ alone?

          If you are a believer, who are you bringing w/you? Who can you tell to, “Come & see”? Would you come now, committing yourself to be a faithful witness to others?

Hymn 61 Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us