Be An Andrew
Be An Andrew
John 1:35-42; 6:8-9;
When you are excited about something, no one needs to encourage you to share your excitement.
No one has to prod a new parent to talk about their child, or a recovered patient to talk
about their doctor or medication, or a new member of God's family to tell others about the change
Christ has brought to their lives.
When you first placed your faith in Christ, who did you want to tell?
As a child you probably wanted to tell your parents.
As a teenager did you want to tell a friend.
As an adult did you want to tell a spouse or a coworker.
And, when was the last time you told someone about the difference Jesus has made in your life?
A newborn Christian has a burning desire to tell others about Jesus.
Some statistics point out that 95% of all church members have never led anyone to Christ.
What is the problem?
This poses a serious problem to our church and to our world.
Dr. James Stewart, the great English preacher, said the threat to our churches "is not communism,
atheism, or materialism; the greatest threat is Christians trying to sneak into heaven incognito
without ever sharing their faith."
The words of Jesus offer a great challenge to us: "For whoever is ashamed of me
and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in his glory
and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:26).
A healthy, growing church makes disciples, which means the members telling others about Jesus.
Jesus commanded us to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and in all of the world.
Our Jerusalem is where we live.
Judea is our homeland -- America.
Samaria is when we cross cultural and language barriers to share Jesus.
And then we are to take the good news around the world.
This is not optional.
This is a command from our Lord, and it is vital if we are to grow spiritually.
We have Jesus as our Saviour and we know how He has changed our lives.
Why are we not willing to express this to others?
We know that others are lost and dying without Jesus, and still we remain silent.
Andrew is an example of the concern that we should have for our relatives and friends.
He is mentioned three times in John's Gospel.
On each occasion he is bringing someone to Jesus.
We Must Take Advantage of Every Opportunity. (John 1:35-42)
Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist.
He with James and John heard John say that Jesus was the Lamb of God and they wanted
to know more about Jesus.
They spent the day with Jesus and it changed their lives.
The first thing Andrew did was to tell his brother Simon about Jesus.
Andrew was not a preacher.
He was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida.
Andrew did not know a lot, but he knew that he had met the Messiah, and he had to tell someone.
So, he found his brother.
Telling someone about Jesus does not require a seminary education.
No special training is required to tell someone about Jesus.
All you have to do is tell how you met Jesus and how He has changed your life.
John said in 1 John 1:1: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-
this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." (1 John 1:1).
Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he found the bread.
John's gospel tells the story of how Jesus gave sight to a blind man.
The religious authorities investigated the incident.
They asked his friends and his parents about the man.
They threatened to excommunicate him unless he accused Jesus of being evil.
Listen to the man's response: "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know.
One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (John 9:25)
You don't know everything about the Bible and Christianity, but you know what happened to you.
Jesus told his followers, including Andrew, "Be my witness, starting in Jerusalem."
Begin right where you live.
Begin with your immediate family, your relatives, and your friends.
Tell them what Jesus means to you.
Introduce them to Jesus.
You will never regret doing so.
The best way for them to hear about Jesus is by hearing you tell them what He has done for you.
You have something tremendously important to tell them.
Take advantage of every opportunity to tell them about Jesus.
Their eternal life depends upon it.
Tell them what your life was like before you met Jesus.
Tell them how you knew that you needed Him.
Tell them how God has changed the direction of your life.
Tell them how God has changed your attitudes and your priorities.
Tell them that how Jesus has given you eternal life and an eternal home in heaven.
What if Andrew had not told his brother, there have not been a Simon Peter in the early church.
Think of the disciples without Peter.
Think of the early church without Peter.
Andrew did not wait for Peter to ask him where he was that day or why he quit his fishing
business to follow Jesus.
Andrew made the opportunity.
Mr. Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in the last century.
One day in 1858 he led a Boston shoe clerk to give his life to Christ.
The clerk's name was Dwight L. Moody who became a great evangelist.
In England in 1879 a pastor of a small church heard Moody and as a result shared Jesus
with Fredrick B. Meyer.
F. B. Meyer, preaching at an American college campus, led a student named J. Wilbur Chapman to Christ.
Chapman, who worked with the YMCA employed a former baseball player named Billy Sunday
to do evangelistic work.
When Billy Sunday held a revival in Charlotte, N.C., a group of men were so thrilled with the results
that they planned another evangelistic campaign.
They brought in Mordecai Ham to preach.
During the Ham revival, a young man heard the gospel and gave his life to Christ.
His name was Billy Graham.
Think of the tremendous consequences of one Sunday School teacher,
Mr. Kimball, who shared his faith.
We Must Be Ready. (John 6:8-9)
Jesus had been teaching the multitude near the Sea of Galilee, and it was getting late
and the people were hungry.
Jesus knew of their need and told the disciples that they must be fed.
Philip saw that as an impossible situation.
Everyone could agree with that.
But Andrew brought a boy to Jesus.
The boy had a small lunch -- just enough for him.
Andrew took him to Jesus.
Jesus fed the 5000.
Andrew had the faith that Jesus could do something miraculous with so little.
All this occurred because Andrew brought a boy to Jesus.
Be ready and be aware of the need that others have of Jesus.
People have so many problems in life.
Most people cannot see beyond their immediate situation.
But we should see their problems as an opportunity to bring them to Jesus who can
solve their problems.
They need a friend who will introduce them to Jesus.
Andrew had seen Jesus change water into wine, provide living water to a woman at a well.
He gave health to a sick boy in Galilee.
Jesus healed a lame and gave sight to the blind.
He had seen the power of God, and though he did not know how a boy's lunch could help,
but he bought him to Jesus.
When you spend more time with God, you will make an amazing discovery.
God will bring people to you.
Others will ask about your faith.
Your life can make a difference.
Ten years ago Nancy McGuirk, wife of an executive of Turner Broadcasting System began
a Bible study at the Peachtree Presbyterian Church.
It now attracts some 375 women and has with 48 group leaders.
One of those leaders lead Jane Fonda to the Lord.
God is at work in her life.
Fonda has been working with an African-American church on a program that emphasizes
the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.
Recently she declined to "meditate" at an environmental conference, suggesting everyone
would be better advised to "pray to Jesus Christ."
Ted Turner said to a California audience: "Jane wants me to become a saint."
-- Edward Plowman in World magazine
God is ready to use you to bring your friends and loved ones to Jesus .
Don't ever underestimate the power of God.
You have the answer to the needs of the world.
You can tell others how they can escape death.
You can tell them how they can live forever.
Do you love them?
Do you really care whether they live or die?
Tell them about Jesus.
Tell them while there is still time!
Sermon by Dr. Harold L. White
