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Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. I want to open today with an experiment; one that you can try out with your own friends & family.
Illusion: A Number between 1 and 50— I want you to think of a number between one and fifty. Both digits have to be odd, but not the same number. Once you have that number, hold it in your mind. Was it 37? If so, pretty awesome. If not, that’s okay, I’m not a mind reader. However, when phrased the right way, most people will choose 37. 35 is next and 17 is also sometimes chosen. What would it be like for somebody to reveal something to you about yourself that nobody but you could possibly know? And that is something that we see taking place in our passage today. Jesus astounds a man with a revelation of knowledge the man thought only he was privy to. Except, unlike this, it was not an illusion or a trick. Jesus does something that only God can do. First, He reveals the previous location of the man (which if Jesus were a mere man, He couldn’t possibly know); and then He reveals something much more incredible: the nature and character of the man (which only God could know). And in this revelation we discover something not just about the man, but about Jesus Himself. So if you would, go ahead and turn with me to John chapter 1. That’s John chapter 1. We’ll look at verses 43-51. Nathanael Comes With Philip-- Now Nathanael didn’t know what to think about Philip’s testimony, but he saw the presence of Jesus emanating through the life of his friend. And so he comes with Philip to see what this Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth was all about. Now it says in… John 1:47 (NIV)— 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” A Character Statement— And Jesus was here making a character statement about Nathanael. He compliments Nathanael as being an Israelite who has remained true to God’s calling, “in whom there is no deceit!”. Now in that word “deceit” Jesus is hinting at a story he is going to bring up later in His conversation with Nathanael; and that is the story of Jacob. You will remember that Jacob’s name means “supplanter”, which suits him because of how he deceived and manipulated first Esau, then his father Isaac, then Laban, and just about everybody around him, at least until the Lord laid hold of him (literally) and wrestled him to the ground. And in that encounter God blesses Jacob and re-names him, giving him the name “Israel”. It was a change of name that signified both a change of identity and a change of future. In Nathanael’s Shoes-- And what Jesus is saying to Nathanael is (and I love how J. Vernon McGee puts it): [“Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no Jacob.”] And we know this is in Jesus’ mind because of how He references the story later. But picture this. Let’s say that somebody came up to you that you had never met before, from a completely different town than the one you live in and greets you by saying, “Ah, here is a righteous person indeed. A good spouse; a loving parent; this person is one of absolute character.” What would you think? Wouldn’t you be a little bit skeptical, like somebody who is having their fortune told. Was Jesus nothing more than the equivalent of a palm-reader? […Galilee had already seen a number of men come forward who had made some claim to messiahship. Nathanael will have none of it.] He is careful, as he should be. And to be honest, Jesus had not yet said anything yet that any pious Israelite would not love to hear. But Jesus is saying them as if He knows them to be true of Nathanael. Now while a man might be able to say these things as a compliment, only God can say these things in an absolute sense because only God knows the heart of a person. 1 Samuel 16:7b (ESV)— 7…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. 1 Chronicles 28:9 (ESV)-- 9…the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought…. Jeremiah 12:3a (ESV)-- 3 But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. 1 Kings 8:39 (ESV)— 39 then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), Psalm 44:21 (ESV)— 21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. Psalm 139:1 (ESV)-- 1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! Proverbs 16:2 (ESV)— 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Jeremiah 17:10a (ESV)— 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind,… Divine Implication-- So, to be able to know (in an absolute sense) the character of the heart is a divine attribute. So by the authoritative way that Jesus declares Nathanael to be a man in whom there is no deceit, He is implying that He shares in the Divine all-knowing attribute of God, which points to His own deity. And Nathanael I think realizes this. So Nathanael decides to put Jesus to the test to see if Jesus is the real deal. So it says… John 1:48 (NIV)— 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.” Supernatural Knowledge-- Ok, now what is incredible is that Jesus tells Nathanael where he was before Philip even reached him. He reveals that location as being under the fig tree. We are not sure exactly what brought Philip to that fig tree. In the ancient world [The shade of a fig tree was a favorite place for study and prayer in hot weather.] Fig trees had huge branches that would provide a lot of shade and were typically grown by poor people who lived in small one-room houses who wanted to escape to someplace private and cool. [Perhaps Nathanael had some significant or outstanding experience of communion with God at the location]. We don’t know. But […the main point is that Nathanael knows exactly what Jesus is talking about;] And this gives Nathanael a glimpse of Jesus’ supernatural knowledge. And for Nathanael it meant that because Jesus knew the geographical information that was impossible for Him to know, Jesus’ declaration of Nathanael’s inward condition could also be trusted. And what is key here is Nathanael’s response. It says… John 1:49 (NIV)— 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” High Titles-- [Nathanael has witnessed a miracle, and from it decides to make a remarkable step of faith. At once Nathanael, who now has experienced Jesus for himself, addresses him with a litany of titles: “Rabbi! . . . Son of God . . . King of Israel.” “Rabbi” is a title of respect for a Jewish teacher (1: 38). “Son of God” is an unexpected recognition of Jesus’ deity that was used with tremendous reserve in the Old Testament. “King of Israel” is used elsewhere at the triumphal entry (12:13) and when Jesus is on the cross (Matt. 27: 42); {yet} here it is no doubt an expression of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. Together these three names complete the portrait of John that has been building throughout this chapter.] Now what is amazing to me is that we already have a wholistic picture of Jesus in this and we haven’t even gotten to chapter 2! Nathanael (apparently) is quick to understand, which may be why Jesus calls him a true Israelite; because that is how all the Israelites ought to be. Now Jesus responds to Nathanael. It says… John 1:50-51 (NIV)— 50 Jesus said, “You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[d] the Son of Man.” Truly, Truly— Now [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.] When we want to affirm something is true in Church, we say “Amen!” afterwards. In Biblical times if you wanted to affirm something that had been said was very true, you would say it twice. But Jesus changes the order of the sentence and begins with “Amen, Amen”. It is his way of declaring that what He is going to say is very important and we need to tune in. He says: Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” Jacob’s Ladder-- And Jesus is of course referring here to Jacob’s dream of a ladder all the way back in Genesis 28. In that dream there was a ladder that stretched between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending from it. And it was a means of man coming to and entering into a relationship with God. And what Jesus was saying to Nathanael was that He Himself (the Divine Son of Man as prophesied about through the prophet Daniel) was that ladder; and that Nathanael himself could enter into a relationship with God in and through Him. He was the bridge! And that relationship is open to anybody who is willing to receive Christ. You want to get to God? Jesus is the Way; the only Way. And He is the greatest road that we could ever take; leading us to life; to rebirth; to renewal; to healing; to forgiveness; to reconciliation; to redemption; to freedom. He is the key to every element of your life. And He wants you to come; He wants you to come to Him. And if you do, He will change you. If you’re a Jacob, He’ll make you an Israel. If you don’t know Him, receive Him into your life. Simply ask Him in and He will bring you into a saving relationship with God. Amen.
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Greetings! Welcome to the show! As, always, it is good to have you with us and we sincerely appreciate your tuning in to Lechem Panim. Lechem Panim is the Hebrew phrase for the bread of the presence of God that was in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. And it represented the reality that what we need for everyday life (bread) is found in the presence of God. And Jesus (who called Himself the Bread of Life) was saying that in Him we can have life. And so each week we seek to draw closer to Him through His word so that we can eat that Bread ourselves; but also so that we might share that Bread with the world.
Kreisler’s Violin-- I’d like to open today with a story I read some time ago. [Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.”] It Must Be Shared-- I find it so fascinating how strongly Christianity is associated with music. From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians were known to be men and women who were singing. Other religions have music to some degree, but nothing in comparison to Christianity. There is something about Christianity that (whether through proclamation or through music) is not content to remain in storage. It must be shared; it must be declared; it must be proclaimed. The invitation of Jesus is to “Come and See”. But what we find in scripture is that those who “Come and See” also “Go and Tell”. And this is where we find Philip. Philip has caught the music; he has encountered Jesus. And he has to go and tell the world; and he begins with those closest to him, which includes Nathanael. It says in… John 1:45a (NIV)-- 45 Philip found Nathanael… Nathanael/Bartholomew-- Now Nathanael (or Bartholomew), as he is sometimes referred to (Bartholomew simply means “son of Tholomaios”; Bartholomew simply reveals to us who his father was), [is linked with Philip in all three Synoptic lists of apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14).] There is a close relationship between these two disciples, which we talked about before. And because of that close relationship, Philip wants Nathanael to know the same hope that he himself has found in this Rabbi named Jesus. So it says in… John 1:45 (NIV)-- 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.” Philip’s Witness-- Now here we see that [When Philip witnessed to Nathanael, the evidence he gave was Moses and the prophets (John 1:45). {We are not sure how Philip was able to connect all these dots. It has been suggested that} Perhaps Jesus gave Philip a “quick course” in the Old Testament messianic prophecies, as He did with the Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13ff.). {And if so, Philip then relays to Nathanael how Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies. And} It is always good to tie our personal witness to the Word of God.] But it is the last title that really throws Nathanael. It is the title Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He responds… John 1:46a (NIV)— 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. A Region, A City, a Father of Bad Repute-- Now the reason that Nathanael reacts the way that he did was because the Messiah should be from a place like Jerusalem in Judea (somewhere important and religious; where the temple was). Now it would have been bad enough for Jesus to be from Galilee because of the unclean nature of Galilee in general (a place filled with Gentiles and Jews who were perceived to be sub-par because of their having mixed with the Gentiles. That would have been ridiculous enough. But Philip was saying not only that Jesus was from Galilee, but that Jesus was from Nazareth! Now [Nazareth did not have a bad reputation in Jesus’ day, but neither did it have a famous reputation. It was a small south Galilee mountain village, a fraction of the size of the modern Arab Christian city {that we see today.] Possum-neck— Now what’s the name of the town around here that whenever you want to make fun of a person for being from a small town, you say they are from there? In and around the city where I pastored my first church; Kosciusko, MS (which itself qualifies) was an even much smaller town called Possum-neck. And I’m not sure you can get smaller than Possum-neck, Mississippi. Before the great depression it got large enough to support it’s own post office, but has long since faded from that not-so-glorious glory. But Jesus was from Possum-neck, Galilee. I mean this a tiny tiny town. You could throw a frisbee from one side to the other. I mean this place is so small, that for years secular historians and critics called us Christians neanderthalic boneheads and crazy for believing it even existed. But of course the ruins of Nazareth were then discovered. But you can’t get more insignificant than Nazareth! It was the Possum-neck of Galilee. Two Skeptical Pharisees-- So Nathanael responds: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” And he’s making a joke. “Okay Phillip, who stopped payment on your reality check?” And we probably see some town-rivalry here. I know you guys don’t know what that is. It’s when one place thinks they are better than another place. It is known in some places as sports. Now Nathanael is no doubt laughing at his own joke. He’s very cynical. He’s probably thinking, “Yeah, the more Nazarenes I meet, the more I like my dog.” He has a very low opinion of Nazareth. Philip’s Invitation-- Now I love Philip because he doesn’t suddenly start to explain or get into some sort of theological discussion or try to debate Nathanael. No his response is so simple; and is probably the greatest evangelistic and apologetic call that we can make in our witness for Christ. John 1:46b (NIV)— “Come and see,” said Philip. The Mirrored Call: “Come”-- And that invitation, [“Come and see” is the refrain heard the previous day in Judea (1:39) and now becomes Nathanael’s challenge.] And this is the most effective method because it is the one that mirrors most closely the call of Christ Himself. Warren Wiersbe points out that [When Nathanael hesitated and argued, Philip adopted our Lord’s own words: “Come and see” (John 1:39). Later on, Jesus would invite, “Come … and drink” (John 7:37), and, “Come and dine” (John 21:12). “Come” is the great invitation of God’s grace.] Another author said, [Throughout the Gospel many people will be challenged to “come and see.” Conversion is not about knowledge alone; it is about coming yourself and appropriating a relationship with Jesus personally.] And the question we ought to ask ourselves is, “Have we truly come and experienced Christ personally?” “Do we know of Him; talk about Him? Or do we know Him? Do we talk with Him? The call of Christ is to come and know Him personally. The question is, “Is He personal for us?” The miracle that Jesus Christ offers us is the ability to (at any moment we choose) to come into the presence of God and find forgiveness, healing, and grace. And when we “come and see” our immediate response will be to go and tell what Christ has done for us; to take somebody else by the hand and lead them to Him. The Strongest Argument-- You know, I love studying the historical evidence of the truth of Christianity. I love the field of apologetics. But you know [The strongest argument for the Gospel of Christ is {not argument, but rather} the personal testimony of someone whose life has been changed by it. Charles Bradlaugh, an avowed infidel, once challenged the Rev. H.P. Hughes to a debate. The preacher, who was head of a rescue mission in London, England, accepted the challenge with the condition that he could bring with him 100 men and women who would tell what had happened in their lives since trusting Christ as their Savior. They would be people who once lived in deep sin, some having come from poverty-stricken homes caused by the vices of their parents. Hughes said they would not only tell of their conversion, but would submit to cross-examination by any who doubted their stories. Furthermore, the minister invited his opponent to bring a group of non-believers who could tell how they were helped by their lack of faith. When the appointed day arrived, the preacher came, accompanied by 100 transformed persons. But Bradlaugh never showed up. The result? The meeting turned into a testimony time and many sinners who had gathered to hear the scheduled debate were converted.] The greatest testimony we can have is showing how Christ has made a difference in our lives and inviting those we come into contact with to “Come and see” the Savior. People, Our Lasting Monuments-- You want to know what the impact of Nathanael’s response to Philip’s call to “Come and see” was? In later years he became [one of the Church's most adventurous missionaries. He is said to have preached with Philip in Phrygia and Hierapolis; also in Armenia. The Armenian Church claims him as its founder…], a Church of over 11,000,000 self-proclaimed members. Perhaps it is little wonder that Nathanael’s name means “Gift of God”. To those of you who are listening today, I want to encourage you to not let Christ remain silent in your life. Let Him be played. Let people be able to hear the song sung through your life and hear in that melody the chord their own hearts have been searching for. And then invite them to “come and see” Jesus so that He might bring about that song in their own lives. Amen. Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Our passage today comes from the book of John; chapter 1, verses 43-44. It reads…
John 1:43-44 (NIV)— 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. We have been talking in recent weeks about the reality that anytime Jesus has truly touched our life; anytime we have truly experienced who He is and what He has done for us, our immediate response is always to go out and find somebody else that needs His touch on their lives. And the next disciple Jesus calls also has this same spirit. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and look with me, starting at verse 43… John 1:43a (NIV)— 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Galilee of the Gentiles-- Now Galilee was a highly unusual place for a good Jewish Rabbi to begin His ministry. Because way back in the Old Testament, Israel (if you remember) was carried away into captivity by Assyria. So when the Jews in Galilee were carried away, they were “replaced by a colony of pagan immigrants (2 Ki 15:29; 17:24). That is why it became known as “Galilee of the Nations” or “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isa 9:1; Mt 4:13, 15–16). Now even though Jews returned to Galilee after the captivity, it still remained predominantly Gentile and therefore was (in the Jewish mind) unclean. And so, because of that pagan influence, you could tell a Galilean by his accent (John 26:73). And this unholy mix “caused the southern Jews of ‘purer’ blood and orthodox tradition to despise the Galileans (Jn 1:46; 7:52).” Why Galilee? It Was Dark-- So why would a good Jewish Rabbi, much less the Messiah; the Son of God choose this region as the place to begin His ministry? I read an author some time ago who said that [Galilee’s very darkness was the Lord’s reason for granting more of the light of his presence and ministry to this region than to self-satisfied and privileged Judea. Christ was sent for “a light for the Gentiles” (Isa 42:6), as well as to the “lost sheep of Israel” (Mt 15:24). {He said} Galilee’s very debasement made some of its people feel more acutely their need of the Savior.] Jesus Comes to Those Whose Hearts Ache for Him-- Now you know what that says to me. Jesus comes to those whose hearts are aching for Him. He will not come first to those who feel satisfied. No, He comes to those who (having come to the realization that they are lost without Him) cry out for His touch. And even while that cry is still on our lips, He is already in our midst. Now we don’t have Philip’s backstory and therefore we don’t know why Jesus came to Philip; all we know is that Jesus intentionally goes to Galilee and apparently seeks Philip out. And it says in… John 1:43b (NIV)— Finding Philip, he {(Jesus)} said to him, “Follow me.” He will find you-- And what this shows us is that no matter who we are; where we live; what it is we are going through or what it is we are struggling with; when our hearts cry out for Jesus, He will find us. And He will lift us up. Now it says of Philip… John 1:44 (NIV)— 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. The Disciples from Bethsaida-- And actually Andrew, James the Elder, the Apostle John, Simon Peter, and Philip were all from Bethsaida, though Peter and Andrew had re-located to Capernaum. In Mark 1:21,29 we find that Andrew lived with his brother Peter and Peter’s wife in Peter’s house (remember Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law in Mark 1:31; she was staying with them). And this house has been discovered and you can go and see it today. Fishing Villages-- Now both Bethsaida and Capernaum were fishing villages on the northern coast of Galilee. In fact [Bethsaida means “house of fishing”] Sounds like my kind of place. And I have been to the coast of Galilee and witnessed the people there still fishing those same waters. And I got to eat some of that fish in a restaurant there. I prefer my fish headless; this one was not. I don’t particularly like food that looks back at me while I am eating it. But nevertheless it was fascinating to me to watch the people there (millennia later) still bringing forth that harvest from the sea in order to sell and trade. And these fishing villages (like Bethsaida and Capernaum [were important places because they resided on the main highway (the Via Maris or Way of the Sea) that brought traffic from the coastal hills of Judea to the northern regions of the country.] And so they did not only sell fresh fish locally, but exported fish as well. In fact, one of Bethsaida’s chief exports was dried fresh-water fish. During that time you had only tilapia, sardines, and eel in the Sea of Galilee. And eel was unclean to eat. You will remember that in the feeding of the five thousand (which took place only about 9 miles away from Bethsaida) a small boy approaches with five loaves and two small fish; and those two fish were most likely a couple of these dried sardines; a little protein to go along with his bread. And so we see that many of the disciples have this kind of industry in their background; most likely Philip as well. So this is the kind of place where Philip grew up. Imagine This-- Now imagine this. Jesus walks up to Philip and probably greets him. Philip probably greeted him back and said, “Hello good sir, what’s your name and what brings you to Bethsaida.” “My name is Jesus.” “Oh that’s right, you’re that rabbi from Nazareth. I have heard of you. I am deeply honored to meet you. What can I do for you?” “Come, follow me.” “Come, be my disciple.” Not Random-- Can you imagine? I mean Philip has never even met Jesus. Jesus comes all the way up from Judea, and the scriptures say he finds Philip (which implies that he was looking for him) and says “follow me.” You know, I don’t know about you, but it always seemed to me that Jesus’ way of choosing disciples was kind of random. I mean, it seemed as though Jesus would just pull random guys from whatever location he happened to be in. But here we see that Jesus is very intentional about the disciples He chooses. Nothing is random. He comes to Galilee; and not only because that is where He is going to start His ministry. No, He goes specifically to Bethsaida to handpick His first disciples. Now we are often tempted to think that our coming to Christ was random. But that is not true. Christ has specifically chosen each one of us for a special plan and purpose. He has handpicked us for a special task. And, I don’t know about you, but that is a great comfort to me; to know that my following Christ wasn’t a random decision with little to no aim in mind. But Christ sought out each one of us in order to bless us and call us to be His disciples. Phillip’s Response-- Now I would have loved to see Philip’s reaction to Christ’s call. It must have been one of fascination and awe because we have no other explanation than that Philip obeys that call. Apparently his own personal experience of Jesus; his experiencing Jesus for himself was all he needed; and he became immovably convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. And so he begins to follow Jesus. And, as anyone who has encountered Jesus must do, he has to go and tell somebody. And of course he will go to tell Nathaniel, which we will talk about next week. The Living Link— But not long ago I read a historical story shared by Warren Wiersbe. [Britain’s King George V was to give the opening address at a special disarmament conference, with the speech relayed by radio to the U.S. As the broadcast was about to begin, a cable {that ran to the generator that powered the whole broadcast} broke in the New York radio station {(somebody having tripped over it)}, and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A junior mechanic in the station, {NY NBC radio engineer} Harold Vivien, solved the problem by picking up both ends of the cable and allowing 250 volts of electricity to pass through him. {And, though his body twitched with spasms, he held on (in pain) for 20 minutes until new wires could be connected.} He was the living link that allowed the king's message to get through.] We Are the Living Links— This morning I want you to imagine yourself as that living link between Jesus and those who need to hear Him; that (like that cable) allows His message to come through and touch their lives. You and I, whether we realize it or not, are often God’s means of allowing the very voice of Jesus to be heard. (LONG PAUSE) Yet sometimes the worst thing we can do we end up doing; and that is to remain silent. The Silent Lawyer— Once there was […a court case that was lost because of the silence of an attorney. The distinguished lawyer Samuel Hoar (1778-1856) was representing the defendant. When it was time to present his case, he told the jurors that the facts favoring his client were so evident that he would not insult their intelligence by arguing them. The jury retired to deliberate and returned in a few minutes with a verdict of guilty. Samuel Hoar was astonished! "How," he asked, "could you have reached such a verdict?" The foreman replied, "We all agreed that if anything could be said for a case, you would say it. But since you didn't present any evidence, we decided to rule against you." Silence had lost the case. How often the opportunity to speak a word of testimony for Christ is lost because we remain silent. Those who need to hear the gospel may conclude that salvation is not important enough to talk about. ] Through Your Life— This is why it is so important for us to speak up; to be that link that connects people with the voice and presence of Jesus. Through your life; through your witness, people come face to face with Jesus. We are all Christians because of the ministry of somebody else. I guarantee it. None of us has come to Christ on our own merit. All of us came because of the ministry of somebody else. And that was because Christ, in and through that person, was seeking to save you and to call you to come follow Him. Now the question is, who is Christ calling you and I to bring to Him? Who is Christ burdening our hearts for? Are we going to allow Christ to use us to bring those people to Him. This week I want to challenge you, find who that person is and begin praying for them. And look for opportunities to share with them the life you have found in Jesus. Amen. Greetings! Welcome to the show! It’s good to have you with us. Our passage today comes from the book of John; chapter 1, verses 43-44. It reads…
John 1:35-42 (ESV)— 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 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.[b] 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus[c] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). Last week we got to meet three of Jesus’ first disciples. First we met Andrew and John; as John the Baptist pointed them to Jesus as the one they needed to follow. And so they began to follow Him. And Andrew then goes and tells His brother Simon all about Jesus. And so (because of Andrew) Simon Peter also comes, meets, and begins to follow Jesus. Simon Peter’s Brother-- I heard of one person who, when asked what Bible character they could relate to the most, their answer was Andrew. And, kind of surprised by the answer, this person was asked why. And that person’s response was, “Because when Andrew is mentioned, he is known as “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.’” How does it feel to always be known by “Oh yeah, you’re so and so’s brother (or sister or son or daughter).”? What is it like to always be living in the shadow of someone else? Sometimes that is difficult. Those kinds of people often get overlooked. And Andrew is one of those overlooked disciples. Andrew Always Bringing Someone To Jesus-- And yet I think that Andrew is one of the great unsung heroes of scripture. Because if you look at every passage in which his name pops up, you will discover that every time he is mentioned, he always seems to be bringing somebody to Jesus. Here in John 1 he brings his brother Simon. In John 6:8 he is the one who brings a young boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, with which Jesus feeds the five thousand. In John 12:22 both Andrew and Philip are instrumental in bringing some Gentiles to see Jesus. [Each time we meet Andrew in the Gospel he is bringing someone to Jesus (6:8; 12:22).] How great it would be if that element could characterize every one of our lives. Because that is the greatest thing that could be said of any person. And those are the kinds of people that Jesus uses to further His kingdom. The method Jesus most uses to call people to Himself is (interestingly) other people. How The First Disciples Were Called-- We see this principle at work when we look at how most of the first disciples became followers of Jesus Christ. We always think that Jesus was the one who sought out the first disciples. Actually, when we look at Scripture, we tend to find the exact opposite. Of the first six disciples that were called, only one was approached directly by Jesus. And that was Philip; and we will learn more about him today. But all the other five came as a result of somebody else's ministry; somebody else's pointing them to Jesus. Andrew and John became followers of Jesus because of John the Baptist’s pointing them to Jesus. And of course Peter came to Jesus as a result of Andrew’s witness. It says in… John 1:41 (ESV)-- 41 He {(Andrew)} first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). Protos-- Now that word “first” in Greek is usually proton. But here there is a special form, protos. And whenever this form appears it means that after that first, there must be a second. So what most scholars agree is that this implies that John also went and found his brother, which would be James (not the brother of Jesus, but James the disciple). So you have another person coming to Jesus as the result of someone else. And then of course Nathaniel later comes because of Philip. And this should tell us something remarkable about the way that Jesus chooses to build his kingdom. Yes, His disciples were all divinely called. For Jesus says in… John 6:44 (NIV)-- 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. Through Somebody Else-- But while this is true we find that the disciples were led to Jesus through the ministry of somebody else. And the same is true even today. The way that most people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is through the ministry of another person. Our Witness-- So what should challenge us is this. If Jesus chooses His disciples through the ministry of somebody else (through our ministry), what happens when you or I fail to be that witness? Just think of this: the main disciples that you and I think of as being the most important disciples (e.g. Peter and John) were not first approached by Jesus but came through the ministry of somebody else. And Peter was the one Jesus said would be his primary instrument in the building of his Church. Now that is amazing to think about; what a difference one person who is brought to Jesus by another person; what a difference that one person can make for the Kingdom of God. The Most Unlikely-- Now Peter (who we talked about last week) was not an ideal person to be chosen to be a disciple. He was outspoken; he was rash; he never seemed to be able to say the right thing. His mouth must have been in the shape of a shoe because of how many times he ended up putting his foot there. And yet God chose Him. Like always, He chooses the most unlikely; the people we think the least likely to be able to do anything substantial for His Kingdom to come follow Him; and then He fills them with His Spirit as he did with Peter and uses them to change the world. Peter was so inept, when faced with danger following Jesus’ arrest, he denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Yet when Christ got through with Him and filled him with His Spirit, Peter preached fearlessly and boldly at Pentecost, pronouncing all the people guilty of having slain the Messiah. He boldly proclaims the Gospel in a way that can only be explained by the infilling of the Holy Spirit; and when he is done preaching, three thousand people convert on the spot and the Christian Church is born. Every day you and I run into people like Peter; people who may be rough around the edges; but people who, if we lead them to Jesus, can make a lasting and tremendous impact on the Kingdom of God. Geemo’s Believing Praise-- My Grandmother (we call her Geemo) is a very remarkably encouraging person. Even today, but especially when I was growing up, whenever she talked to me, my siblings, or anyone else for that matter, she would always praise us and say things like, “Oh what a warrior for Jesus you are; Oh how you are taking a stand for Oh name; Oh how the Lord is using you.” Now, looking back, I know that in many cases I wasn’t those things she was praising me for being. And you know what, I think she may have known that too. But I tell you what. Because she chose to believe in us, we wanted to be those things that she praised us for being. Now this wasn’t some kind of deception or lying, but rather she was believing God for the plan she knew He had for us. Their Biggest Fans-- And I wonder if that is not how we should be with other people, especially non-believers. We need to be their biggest fans, cheering them along in every stage of their journey. And if they know that we believe in them, they will want to be all that we think they can be and eventually will want to be all that God wants them to be. But we have to believe in them and be instruments of encouragement in their lives. And if we do, there is no telling what they might become. The Next Billy Graham Might Be Drunk Right Now-- Some time ago I read an article that said this: [The next Billy Graham might be drunk right now. The next Jonathan Edwards might be the man driving in front of you with the Darwin Fish bumper decal. The next Charles Wesley might currently be a misogynistic, profanity-spewing hip-hop artist. The next Charles Spurgeon might be managing an abortion clinic today. The next Mother Teresa might be a heroin-addicted porn star this week. The next Augustine of Hippo might be a sexually promiscuous cult member right now, just like, come to think of it, the first Augustine of Hippo was. But the Spirit of God can turn all that around. And seems to delight to do so. The new birth doesn't just transform lives, creating repentance and faith; it also provides new leadership to the church, and fulfills Jesus' promise to gift his church with everything needed for her onward march through space and time (Eph. 4:8-16).] Someone You Touch-- The next Billy Graham may be someone you touch with the Gospel of Christ! Someone who, experiencing that life in you, responds to your pointing; your call to come and see Jesus. They are important; the lives we touch for Jesus. Geempa's Dash-- Whenever I am able to visit my family on the east coast, I usually have an opportunity to visit my grandfather's grave. And on the gravestone, just like on most gravestones, are two dates; one representing that person's birth and the other representing that person's death. And in between those dates is a tiny little dash; a dash representing the entirety of that person's life. What is it that makes that dash mean something; that makes this brief life we live count on an eternal scale? My grandfather left a clue to the answer to that question. Below those dates on my grandfather's grave are three very simple words that defined his life: "Behold The Lamb." Living with his eyes fixed on Jesus and with the mission of pointing others to Jesus was the central focus of his life. And it was because of that vision that that dash means something. Because of that dash lived for that purpose, his life was richer and the kingdom of heaven is more populated. C.T. Studd-- It's as C.T. Studd once said: Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. (C.T. Studd) And that is why I want to encourage you today to (in whatever context you are in) to point people to the Lamb of God. It will change their life, but it will change yours to. Point somebody to Jesus this week. Amen. |
Rev. Cameron Ury graduated from Asbury University in 2007 with a B.A. in Bible and Theology. From there he continued his studies at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, MS. It was there that he met his wife Tanya, who graduated from WBS with her M.A. and M.Div. degrees. Cameron and Tanya got married in 2009. Cameron then graduated with his M.Div. degree with a pastoral concentration in 2011.
After shepherding churches in both Mississippi and Ohio, they joined the ministry team at Renton Park Chapel in January of 2018, where Cameron serves as Senior Pastor and Teacher. Cameron is also the founder and host of Lechem Panim, a weekly radio show that airs on KGNW 820AM "The Word Seattle". The ministry of Lechem Panim is centered around leading people into the life-giving presence of God in and through Bible study, prayer, and active discipleship with the aim of ministering to a world that is in desperate need of the healing touch of Jesus Christ. Archives
May 2021
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