"simon Says...." Part One: The Power Of Influence Series

“SIMON SAYS…”

REFLECTING UPON THE JOURNEY OF ONE WHO FOLLOWED JESUS.

(Hint: It’s about a lot more than playing games!)

Sermon One: The Power to Influence

Do you remember playing the game "Simon Says?"

(Don’t worry I’m not going to make you stand on one foot, pat your head and rub your belly!)

But I do want you to recall this classic children's game that is all about listening carefully and following directions.

The game is simple, right?

First, we choose a leader, A "Simon." The person who is going to give the commands for the players to follow.

Then the leader begins each command with either the words "Simon says..."

or without the words “Simon says.”

They could say "Simon says touch your nose" or

they might just say "Touch your nose."

Which brings us to the catch—players must only follow the instructions if they're preceded by the words "Simon says..."

If the leader says, "Clap your hands" instead of saying "Simon says, clap your hands," – well, then anyone who clapped their hands is out of the game.

The goal of course is to stay in the game as long as possible by listening carefully and not getting tricked into following a command without the words "Simon says."

There is actually a professional performer nicknamed the “Simon Sez Guy!”

He is Steve Max, and he has made a lucrative career out of playing “Simon Say’s” with fans as part of the halftime show at NBA and NCAA sporting events!

You’ll have to check him out on TikTok—preferably after this morning’s sermon.

So, “Simon Says” it’s a game, that’s all about LISTENING, FOLLOWING, OBEYING and MAKING IT TO THE END.

It sounds simple, but anyone who has ever played knows how easy it is to get tripped up in the game—the truth is it’s just not always easy to follow the directions.

In many ways, this simple game highlights some real challenges we face as we try to follow Christ.

The game is aptly named, “Simon Says.”

Simon Peter is a great example of how challenging it can be to follow Jesus.

As he journeyed with Christ the elements of LISTENING, FOLLOWING, OBEYING and MAKING IT TO THE END all proved challenging at one point or another.

Discovering how Simon overcame those challenges is largely what this preaching series is all about.

The truth is, most of us who desire to follow Jesus either have, will or are struggling with what it means to listen, follow, obey and to faithfully persevere to the end.

We struggle.

Simon Peter struggled,

But Peter’s journey ultimately reveals a powerful truth-- our failures don’t have to define us, defeat us or destroy us!

So, let’s get into it. Let’s start at the beginning of Simon’s journey…

and his journey actually begins with the indirect influence of John the Baptist.

That’s right, John the Baptist, the “voice of one calling in the wilderness,” who preached to “prepare the way for the Lord,” did indeed make a straight path for others to follow Jesus—and for Simon he did it through a conversation with two men who happened to be with him one day when Jesus walked by. (Quoting from Mathew 3:3).

Let’s pick up the story in John 1:35…

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

Five words, just five words about Jesus, drew two people to Jesus.

Those two would draw many others and eventually thousands would make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

Remember that the next time you wonder if you should say something about Jesus to someone else!

WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT JESUS TO OTHERS MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Don’t be afraid to share what you know to be true about Jesus.

So those two guys follow Jesus’ home and spend the day with him.

And John tells us that one of those two guys was Andrew, Simon’s Brother.

And the first thing Andrew does, well take a look at verses 41 and 42:

41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

I love it! THE FIRST THING HE DOES IS FIND HIS BROTHER!

Andrew is like, “BRO YOU GOTTA MEET JESUS!”

I read that and I have to ask, “Who am I that desperate to bring to Jesus?”

So desperate that it’s my top priority, that I can’t rest, that I can’t do anything else until I get that person to Jesus?