Operation Andrew Series

Operation Andrew

The Story of the Apostle Andrew

John 1, 6, 12- Selected passages

Sermon for 3/5/2000

Introduction:

A. The story of Edward Kimball. Many of us have never heard of Edward Kimball, a Sunday school teacher.

B. He won a young fellow to the Lord, he was a Boston shoe salesman, and got that shoe salesman so on fire that he became the well-known evangelist Dwight L. Moody.

C. After evangelizing America, D. L. Moody started on England. There in England Frederick B. Meyer heard his message. One of the sermons that Moody used did not at first stir Brother Meyer. Then one of his Sunday school teachers came to him and said, “Brother Meyer, the sermon that preacher gave in our church the other day stirred my girls so much that there has been a lot of weeping, confession and testimony among us. It has helped out my teaching so much and the effect on the class has been wonderful.”

D. F. B. Meyer was so affected by the testimony of that teacher and those girls that he got off by himself, and soon it began to grip him in the same manner. His ministry began to open up and spread, and as it did, he was invited to come to America.

E. F. B. Meyer was invited to Furman University to preach. One young fellow in the student body had decided to quit the ministry and go back to a secular job. But the message by Mr. Meyer was given with such fervor and flame that the young fellow stepped out, came forward and renewed his vow to preach the gospel. He became the evangelist R. G. Lee.

F. F. B. Meyer went on to preach at another location. In this service a young fellow caught fire and began to evangelize. His meetings spread out all over areas of New England and the mid-Atlantic coast, until they were bulging at the seams. J. Wilbur Chapman, inspired by the preaching of F. B. Meyer, began to stir up the whole northeastern coast.

G. Then, because of Chapman’s preaching, he was invited to speak at a certain place. His ministry was changing and he needed someone to come and help him in his ministry. Mr. Chapman found Billy Sunday a recent convert and mentored him.

H. Billy Sunday, influenced by J. Wilbur Chapman, got into the ministry and went to Charlotte, North Carolina. There a group of business men got so inspired and so stirred up that they organized a committee to invite other evangelists back. One invited was Mordecai Ham from Louisville, Kentucky. He preached in a meeting, and Billy Graham came to salvation.

I. Billy Graham’s ministry is known throughout the world. May not agree with everything Billy Graham does but we must acknowledge that Mr. Graham’s preaching and crusades have influenced hundreds of thousands if not millions.

J. All this happened because of one Edward Kimball. One nobody. Won one other nobody and started a series of dominoes falling that ended up with millions acknowledging Jesus as Savior in Moody’s ministry, hundreds of thousands in Meyer’s ministry, hundreds of thousands more in Chapman’s ministry, hundred of thousands more in Lee’s ministry, and hundred of thousands more in Graham’s ministry. All because one fellow won one soul to Christ!

WBTU:

A. I know that all of us have some of Edward Kimball in us. We may not be the greatest this or that, but all of us can influence someone else to come to Christ. It is a ministry of the whole church.

B. Edward Kimball is a modern day example of the Apostle Andrew.

C. Without Andrew there may have never been a great Simon Peter, who preached the first Christian sermon at Pentecost which influenced thousands and then in turn these thousands influenced hundreds of thousands and eventually millions and the whole world.

D. Andrew is a good role model and example for all believers.

E. Let’s turn to John 1. Summary of John 1:19-28- Questions of who John the Baptist was.

F. Summary of John 1:29-34- Jesus’ baptism and what John told the people about Christ.

G. In John 1:35-42 we are first introduced to Andrew.

H. Andrew was not scared to have second place. As a matter of fact, he was comfortable with second place.

I. Might oaks from little acorns grow. Peter was the mighty oak but Andrew was the little acorn.

Thesis: would you be an Andrew for Jesus?

For instances:

J. John 1:35-42.

A. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist.

B. Andrew was one of these two.

C. Andrew was baptized of John.

D. Andrew was a seeker after the truth. He found the truth in John the Baptist and followed him. John would always mention that he was not the Messiah but someone else. When John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, Andrew knew that this man was the Messiah prophesied of Old.