John 1:35-42

³⁵ The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. ³⁶ As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”³⁷ When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”³⁹ “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. ⁴¹ Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).⁴² Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”

Not only did Andrew seek, speak, spend time with and share the Savior but through:

6. Serving others, he got to See what the Savior Saw.

When Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus it doesn’t say that Jesus said good job Andrew instead Jesus spoke and said “You are Simon son of John.” When we introduce others to Christ it’s not about us but them and Jesus. So often we see sharing Jesus as somehow benefiting us, but it’s about benefitting others. The blessing for Andrew was that he got to see what the Savior saw. Jesus saw Peter he knew who he was BUT then Jesus says: “You shall be called Cephas”. Jesus not only knew who Simon was, Jesus also knew who Simon could be. Jesus didn’t focus on his past but on his potential. Jesus saw the potential within Peter and Jesus gave Simon a new name that reflected what Jesus saw as Peter’s inner quality. Imagine for a moment that I am holding a $50 bill. Each $50 bill has some characteristics that are unique to every new $50 bill. It features subtle background colors of blue and red and includes an embedded security thread that glows yellow when illuminated by UV light. Unlike the $20 bill which features subtle background colors of green and peach with an embedded security thread that glows green when illuminated by UV light.When you hold the $50 bill to light you will see a portrait watermark of President Grant that is visible from both sides of the note. The note includes a color-shifting numeral 50 in the lower right corner of the note.Like you it has some unique characteristics. Now imagine if I were to offer this to you, who would want this $50 bill? Let’s say I were to do crumple the bill into a tight ball would you still want it? What if I did threw it on the floor and stomp on it? Would you would still want it? Of course, you would still want this $50, because you understand that no matter what it’s condition it still has worth. You know the truth that its value doesn’t depend on how it looks. You know that its value is more than appearance because it has real worth. Jesus sees your real worth and to Him you are valuable. Your value is not based on your condition but on the cross. Do you know this truth about your value? Are you living out this truth or are you living based on a lie? If you know the true source of your value, then who else do you know that needs to know what Jesus thinks of them? Studies have revealed that 75 % of people came to church because a friend or relative invited them to come. Yet those same studies reveal that 75% don’t invite anyone, so why would Andrew do this while many Christians don’t?  Because Andrew believed that Jesus was worth knowing. Of the four original disciples – Peter, Andrew, James & John it is Peter James and John who are invited into the inner circle of Jesus time and time again. Where is Andrew? How would you have responded? That depends on whether it is about self or servant hood. Success is found in the Savior and being His servant not in being recognized. You may feel as though no one knows who you are and that you will never be noticed or important, but we don’t serve for that recognition we serve because we have found the Savior. In 1934, Albert McMakin, a 24-year old farmer became a Christian. He was so full of enthusiasm that he filled a truck with people and took them to a meeting to hear about Jesus. There was a good-looking farmer’s son who Albert especially wanted to get to the meeting, but this young man was difficult to persuade, he didn’t seem too interested in Christianity. Albert persuade him to come by asking him to drive the truck. When they arrived, Albert’s guest decided to go in and found himself “spellbound” by the teaching from the Bible. He began to have thoughts he had never known before. He went back each night to the meetings to hear more until one night he went forward and gave his life to Jesus Christ. Since that day that young man has spoken to at least 250 million people about Jesus, he was the spiritual advisor to at least nine US Presidents. The young truck driver was of course, Billy Graham. We might not remember Albert McMakin living in the shadow of Billy Graham but God remembers. No matter who you are, you are not insignificant. Are you willing to be an Andrew and introduce people to Jesus?

John 1:35-42

³⁵ The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. ³⁶ As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”³⁷ When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”³⁹ “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. ⁴¹ Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).⁴² Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”

Not only did Andrew seek, speak and spend time with the Savior but:

5. He shared the Savior

The Results of an Encounter with Christ will produce a desire to tell others about Him. There is a sense of urgency for Andrew, both the King James and NIV say that the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” Why is the first thing that Andrew did so often the last things many Christians do? Christ is coming back, and He could return at any moment. That truth has not changed, but has that truth changed us? Do our words and actions reveal a sense of concern for the lost or a sense of complacency? Is the first thing you do to tell others about Jesus or tell Jesus about you?  When he departed from Christ, Andrew had one conviction, Jesus is the Lamb of God. Today, how many of us could go without any doubts in our mind, no question marks, and say, “We have found the Messiah, behold the Lamb which takes away the sin of the world.” Andrew knew not only what he had found but who. When he realized how great a discovery that was, he could think of only one thing, he must share his conviction. The reason you and I don’t talk about Jesus to the people we know and meet is because we haven’t been spending time with the Lord, we have forgotten how great a discovery we have made. Andrew didn’t memorize some plan, he didn’t have the New Testament all he did was spend some time with Jesus and tell others about Him. Many of us feel that we are not prepared to tell others about Jesus, but if we know Jesus as Savior, we know about His forgiveness by grace because of what He did on the cross and that qualifies us. Are you saved? Then tell somebody your experience. Did Jesus meet your need? Then tell somebody who has a need. Did Jesus answer your prayer? Then tell somebody that’s been praying. The first person he led to Christ was a member of his own family, his brother. For many of us this is the hardest group to talk to because they know us, and we care what they think of us. But Andrew was more concerned about Peter being included in God’s family than himself being rejected by his family. Peter becomes great and Andrew is obscured in the shadows, but we might never have had a Peter if there had not first been an Andrew. The Andrews bring the Peters to Christ. They are not those who get the praise and publicity. They are not the stars, but the ordinary men and women. We remember the Peters, but we forget the Andrews because the Andrews don’t write stirring books of the bible, they don’t preach great sermons, they don’t win three thousand souls with one message. We remember the Peters, but we forget the Andrews. Who brought Billy Graham to meet the Lord?  We remember the Peters but forget the Andrews. We have met Andrew twice in the Scripture. First, he introduced himself to Jesus; second, he brought his brother Peter to Jesus but there are 2 more times we see Andrew and each time he is bringing someone to Jesus.

1. Third he brought the boy to Jesus. (John 6:5-9)

For Andrew even the little people that don’t have much to offer are worth bringing to Jesus. When Jesus becomes your reason for life there isn’t room for prejudice. Andrew could have dismissed this boy as useless, but he brought him to Jesus and Jesus used what he had hisfive barley loaves and two fish,to feed 5000.

1. Andrew Introduced the Greeks to Jesus (John 12:20-22, 26)

One of the four encounters we have with Andrew is when we find him bringing a group of Greeks to Jesus. This occurs on Palm Sunday, the last week of the Savior’s life, we think we have all the time in the world to introduce people to Jesus but we don’t. These were not Jewish men but foreigners who came to Phillip but he wasn’t sure what to do with them so he sent them to Andrew who directly took them to Jesus. Andrew lived in one of the most segregated, prejudiced societies in history but he was able to keep the bigger picture in mind and overcome that prejudice. Racism isn’t anything new, Jonah felt it against the people of Nineveh. Peter felt it against the Gentiles. The Jews felt it against the Samaritans and the world tells us that this must continue but when Jesus becomes your reason for life there isn’t room for racism. So, who are you talking to about Jesus?