Sermon Central
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John Series Part 8 Series
Contributed by Rodney Fry on Oct 3, 2021 (message contributor)
Summary: Philip’s discovery and witness of Jesus Christ was unmistakable. Jesus was the One prophesied in Scripture; He was the promised Messiah. 1. Philip’s experience (vv.43–44). 2. Philip’s first concern: Nathanael (v.45). 3. Philip’s conviction: Jesus was the One prophesied (v.45).
John Series Part 8
Pastor Rodney A. Fry, MA, MDIV, MS, LPC
October 3, 2021
Jesus the One Prophesied: The Witness of Philip, 1:43–45
(1:43–45) Introduction: Philip’s discovery and witness of Jesus Christ was unmistakable. Jesus was the One prophesied in Scripture; He was the promised Messiah.
1. Philip’s experience (vv.43–44).
2. Philip’s first concern: Nathanael (v.45).
3. Philip’s conviction: Jesus was the One prophesied (v.45).
1 (1:43–44) Salvation—Discipleship—Jesus Christ, Seeking Man: Philip’s experience involved three significant points.
a. Jesus Himself went forth and sought Philip—Philip was not seeking Jesus. The initiative came from Jesus entirely. Jesus made the move to find and save Philip and to enlist Philip in His mission.
1) Jesus traveled a long distance to find Philip. Galilee was a long distance away, and note: the stated purpose for Jesus’ going to Galilee was to find Philip. This is a picture of how far Christ will go to reach a soul. In order to reach a man, Christ will go any distance …
• to any sin, no matter how terrible or awful. He will prick and prick at the mind and heart of a person.
• to any place, no matter how hidden or shameful. He will send a thought or memory or person of righteousness to remind and warn a person.
• to any condition, no matter how hopeless or helpless. He will see that the message of hope and help crosses a person’s path.
• to any person, no matter how shameful or guilty. He will see that a person hears the word of salvation if he repents and hears the word of judgment if he does not repent.
Christ will go any distance to reach people. He will go to any place, to any condition, to any person. He will see that every person has some chance of turning to God. The word of deliverance can come from any number of sources: another person, a thought, a stirring of conscience, a memory, a writing, or just through seeing nature (Ro. 1:20). Christ seeks every person, and He will go any distance to reach him, no matter the difficulty.
Thought 1. Every person must heed the seeking of Christ when His seeking is sensed. A person must respond immediately, for God’s Spirit does not always strive with man. When we first feel the pull to make a decision for Christ, if we put the decision off for an hour or two, the pull fades and eventually leaves us completely. God’s Spirit does not continue to strive with us.
“And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Ge. 6:3).
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Pr. 29:1).
Thought 2. Every believer should be willing to go any distance to reach people, no matter how far or how deeply depraved the person may be. Too many in the world are considered and treated as untouchable: the alcoholic, immoral, poor, prisoner, lowly, diseased.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Ac. 1:8).
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Mt. 25:35–36). (Remember that the person in prison is guilty of the most serious offenses and sins.)
2) Jesus is seen fulfilling His mission in seeking and saving Philip. He came into the world for the very purpose of seeking and saving the lost.
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lu. 19:10).
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).
“To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (Jn. 18:37).
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Ti. 1:15).
b. Jesus Himself called Philip. He called Philip to “follow Him”
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lu. 9:23).
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10:27).
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (Jn. 12:26).
