John 1:35-51, Follow Me

John 1:35-51 Read, John 1:35-51 Pray

Opener, -There are going to be some amazing things we will be able to do in heaven. You will be able to eat (the marriage supper of the Lamb) takes place. -You will rule and reign with Jesus Christ. -Most of all you will worship. It will never get old, tiring or boring. -But there is one good thing you will never be able to do in heaven. -It is one of the most righteous God pleasing things we can do on earth, but you can’t do it in heaven. -This one thing not even Jesus will be able to do. What is that one thing? Share with others how to follow Jesus. Share with others how to have your sins forgiven. Today we see the beginning of Jesus Gospel Ministry.

When the Good News of salvation begins to go out through Jesus life. 1) I must share Jesus

We are reminded that not only must we share Jesus, but that someone shared with you.

Illustration of me sharing Jesus, I found the one who will forgive me of all my sins.

Illustration - Sharing Jesus is like one of those very complex domino set ups. Where one domino falls and there is a whole course of dominos that fall, thousands and do all kinds of tricks. Once one falls, the ripple effect doesn’t stop.

The Gospel is meant to be contagious and spread to those around us. There was 1 person in our text today who started the first domino. John the Baptist.

A. John the Baptist tells 2 of his disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God”.

John the Baptist shared Jesus.

& John shared Jesus with his words.

vs. 35, HE said, “Behold the Lamb of God”

-These disciples of John would have clearly known that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb for sin.

vs. 41, Andrew (one of John the baptists disciples) tells Peter,

“We have found the Messiah. (the Christ)

The Anointed one who would save Israel.

vs. 45, Philip cannot keep it to himself & he tell’s Nathanael about Jesus - “We have found whom the prophets wrote”

Philip says, You know all those prophecies about Jesus written 600 years ago about Messiah. We found him.

Followers of Jesus share Jesus.

Look at the kind of multiplication that can happen when you share Jesus.

***Multiplication of Salvation*** chart

Year 1, 1 person shares with 2 people who get saved

Year 2, The 2 new plus the 1, shares with 2 people each

Year 3, 6 new plus 3 past years share with 2 each. 18

As you keep sharing Jesus and it multiplies, in 8 years over 4,000 people know and share Jesus.

Pause

Transition - We share Jesus because someone shared Jesus with us.

Someone shared Jesus with you.? Who was that person? Maybe many persons.

For me it was my Dad, my Mom, my Sunday School teachers at church. VBS workers. -Who was it for you?

-If you are a Christ Follower and sitting here today it is because someone told you about Jesus.

-You know what is interesting to me.

-When asked, Who first told you about Jesus. Most people Do Not say - a preacher.

-They may have come to faith in a worship service.

-The person who planted that first seed and watered it was a friend or family member.

Someone was the gardener in your life who planted that seed.

-Who told you about Jesus?

-As we enter the week of thanksgiving, will you tell God right now in your heart, thank you for that person who told me about Jesus.

-God has called you to be a domino in someone else’s life.

Transition - We see in our passage today, Not only did someone tell the disciples about Jesus, but someone brought the disciples to Jesus.

2) I must bring people to Jesus.

Illustration - Bringing someone to see...

When I was in middle school my dad drove the family from South Florida to Washington, D.C. and to where he grew up in the Chesapeake Bay area.

-He wanted us to see the people and area of the country that shaped his life.

-I still remember that trip, staying in a small house at the salt marsh. Dropping crab traps.

We also saw the nations capital.

-1st time I had seen the nations capital. I was really impressed.

-Dad shared with me. His passion got into me.

20 years later - I took youth on a mission trip to Philadelphia. I knew we would go near Washington, D.C. In advance we planned an extra day. I took the youth to the Capital (many for the 1st time) because someone shared their passion with me and took me to the Capital.

In our passage today, Someone much greater than the Capital of the United States or George Washington had come to earth.

Transition - John the Baptist said, “Looks there is the Lamb of God.”

2 of John the Baptist disciples left and followed Jesus.

They went to Jesus. They left their leader John the Baptist. -And John the Baptist didn’t mind.

Why? John the Baptist knew he wasn’t the point.

Jesus was the point.

These 2 stayed with Jesus, probably slept where he slept.

vs 42, we see that Andrew not only told his brother Peter about Jesus.

-He put him in his car and brought him to Jesus.

vs 46-47, Philip brings Nathanael to Jesus, Philip says “come and see” and brings Nathanael to Jesus.

After meeting Jesus Nathaniel has this great confession, “You are the Son of God.”

God has called you and I to bring people to see Jesus.

-How do you help a person now - today - go and see Jesus?

A. -You take that person to someone who has been changed by Jesus.

-You say, Hey - there is a friend I would like you to meet. Their life has been changed by Jesus.

-So you set up coffee with Tom or Loretta. Someone you know who loves Jesus and ask that person to share their testimony.

-At coffee, after some conversation, you say - hey Tom. Share with us about how you came to know Jesus. Tell us how Jesus has changed your life.

-You bring your friend to someone who has encountered Jesus and been changed by Him.

B. Another way to you take someone to Jesus is have them read the book of John with you.

-”Hey, lets read the Bible together. We keep it light. Lets read 2 chapters a week. You underline what sticks out to you or something you have a question about and I’ll do the same. Then we’ll meet and talk about it.”

-As that person reads and you share - The Alive Word of God begins to transform their heart.

The point is this - I must bring people to Jesus.

Let’s be clear. It’s not your responsibility to save anyone. God does the saving. We do the inviting.

We are called to bring people to Jesus.

Someone brought us to Jesus.

-It may have been a parent who made you come to church. God had his way.

-A friend who invited you to church camp in youth group.

-A neighbor who took you to VBS.

-Someone brought you to Jesus.

There is a life that God is calling you to effect. Who will you bring to Jesus?

Transition - While we can be a part of bringing people to Jesus. There is one thing we can’t do, make them believe. Make them follow Him. That is a work of the heart - reserved for God alone.

3) God’s brings belief in Jesus.

Illustration - When my oldest was 3 years old, one of the things that God impressed my heart with this truth.

“Jonathan, you may be able to control her actions, but you cannot control her heart.”

I had to come to grips with the fact that as a parent, While I could persuade her to behave and I could influence her heart.

-Ultimately God changes the heart.

-This is certainly true of salvation.

Hebrews 12:2 says this about your salvation...

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

What does this verse say about the heart and salvation?

Jesus is the source of our faith, founder of our faith, author of our faith.

We have a broken mindset in our culture that we are basically good, we are not spiritually dead, and that we have this natural ability to respond to God.

That’s not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches in

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Faith is a gift from God. We were not born with a spiritual tool belt wrapped around our waste filled with all these tools to use and the ability to use them. When we were born, our spiritual tool belt was empty.

God has to give us spiritual tools and show us how to us them.

For the Christ Follower, the first tool that He gifts you with is faith.

God gives you faith and God empowers you to exercise this faith.

This is why we cannot brag that we did something to gain salvation.

Psalm 3:8 says, Salvation belongs to the Lord.

And this is Great News. It is God who saves, not me.

-I share my faith, but God does the real heart changing work.

-If someone is saved, it is all of God.

-If someone isn’t saved, God’s got them in His timing.

-the point is ...

Salvation is all of God.

This is why you pray for God to open the eyes of those in your life who don’t know Jesus.

-You ask God to help them have faith and believe.

-Why? Faith is a gift from Him.

Would you right now, in thanksgiving to God say to Him in your heart. Thank you for the faith you gave me.

Conclusion

1. Are you a person of faith? Do you know God? Do you have a tender heart to follow Jesus?

When someone shared with them about Jesus, they listened.

-Do you listen when people talk about Jesus?

*** Spurgeon quote***

2. These men brought others to Jesus.

-Who in you life is God calling you to bring to Jesus?

3. The disciples eventually believed in Jesus.

-Who in your life are you praying for to believe in Jesus?

Application - This Thanksgiving, there is a conversation you need to have...

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In our text today … The Disciples were already on a faith journey even before Jesus called them.

God was readying their heart to accept the Messiah Jesus.

Here is what we know about these disciples.

-When Philip said to Nathanael in verse 45, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote...”

He was speaking to a man like him who knew the scriptures.

He was speaking to a friend who he knew was a genuine spiritual person.

-They were not theologians, but they were paying attention when they went to synagogue. They were remembering what they were taught as little boys in Hebrew Bible School.

While they were common men, the God’s Word did not fall on deaf ears.

Look at what Jesus says about Nathaniel in verse 47.

“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

-Jesus was saying, You are a true Israelite of faith, who believes and follows God.

-These men had already rejected the false faith, pseudo faith, of the religious leaders.

These men walked with God the best they knew how.

-When they found out, the Messiah was here, they were ready to investigate.

These men knew God and were teachable.