March 18, 2007
"Andrew--The Power of an Ordinary Life"
John 1:35-42
INTRODUCTION: We don’t hear much about Andrew in the scriptures, but he was the first one of the disciples that Jesus called. He lived in Bethsaida of Galilee and was a fisherman. He was a very ordinary person--more of a behind the scenes person. His brother, Peter, was the one who got all of the attention. When Andrew introduced Jesus to Peter, the focus turned to Peter instead of Andrew. Jesus immediately said, "You are Simon the son of Jonas, You will be called Cephas, a stone or a rock." Had it not been for Andrew, the behind the scenes brother, Peter may never have become the follower of Jesus.
There are several things we can learn from Andrew’s life and apply to our own:
1. Brought a Member of His Own Family to Jesus--He looked for him. He didn’t go by himself. He said, "Simon, we have found the Messiah." Andrew brought Simon Peter to Jesus. He may have had to go out of his way. Might have had to wait until Simon got off work that day.
He had courage to tell his own family members. It is easier to tell a person in China. They don’t know us. Takes more Genuine Religion to witness to your own family than it does to strangers. Why? Family members can point out our inconsistencies. "Remember when you stubbed your toe in the middle of the night and what did you say?"
Andrew was not a public person yet he was constantly working behind the scenes. He probably never did get as much credit as Peter did. He was "a living epistle...known and read of all men" (II Cor. 3:2). There is no record that Andrew ever performed a miracle but his life was a miracle of God. He lived a consistent life and was concerned about his family--he LOOKED FOR his brother Simon Peter. Peter may have been somewhere else and he had to go LOOK FOR HIM. Family members may be off somewhere doing their own thing. Do we LOOK FOR THEM to tell them about Jesus and what He has done for us? Sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t.
ILLUSTRATION: At Dwight L. Moody’s funeral his oldest son, W. R. Moody, stood up to speak. He said, "D. L. Moody won each of his own children to Jesus." That was a great accomplishment in this man’s life. He was a famous evangelist, but he WON EACH OF HIS CHILDREN. How can we win people in our own families today? Sometimes they seem to go the opposite direction no matter what we say or do.
We can live a CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN life before them
We can continue to pray for them,
We can expect the Lord to draw them to Him by His Holy Spirit. It is not the multitude of WORDS we say to people. It is our consistent living over the years.
2. Andrew Brought a Boy to the Lord--The second picture of Andrew is when we see him down by the shore. A multitude of people had gathered to hear Jesus teach and the time got away from them. The people were hungry and there was no place to buy food. It was Andrew who identified a small boy who had brought a lunch with him. He said, "There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes" (John 6:9). How do you suppose Andrew knew about the boy with the lunch?
Andrew appeared to be a person who enjoyed being with people, and he was probably talking with this boy in the crowd. Again this is an example where Andrew BROUGHT HIM to Jesus.
Who do we often overlook as being TOO YOUNG, TOO INSIGNIFICANT to bring them to Jesus? We might say, "That person wouldn’t be interested." So WE WALK ON BY. Apparently Andrew had established good rapport with this boy as he was talking with him or this boy wouldn’t have been willing to let go of his lunch--all that he had. Do you know some boy or girl that you can BRING TO JESUS today? Think about it? There may be someone you are not even noticing.
STORY: Years ago there were three girls in a family that lived near us. They went to church with us. Parents used to fight and argue all the time. No Christian influence in this family. The one girl especially went to Sunday school consistently. I had lost contact with her for years and years and she is not going to church in Zanesville and has been a Sunday school teacher for years.
Andrew said, "There is a lad here..." Do we say, "So?" How can we take the next step to bring the unchurched to Jesus? to our Sunday school? to our new youth group? People say, "well, I can’t do anything. I’m not a multitalented person... I’m just an ordinary person."
STORY: I remember I used to see people who were so talented and seemed to be used of God so mightily and I would say, "I’m just an Ordinary Run of the Mill Christian. What can I do?" One preacher used to tell us, "If you’re not doing something SPIRITUAL, you’re not doing anything." If you’re not a missionary or a preacher you’re not doing much." and I thought, "Guess, I’m not doing anything. ANDREW was a fisherman, an ordinary run-of the mill Christian--but he BROUGHT people to Jesus as he lived out his quiet life of faith." He was an ordinary person who did extraordinary things behind the scenes. Who can estimate the power of ordinary people dedicated to God’s service?
3. Andrew Brought the Gentiles to Jesus--Everupme was jearomg tje mews abpit Kesis amd wanted to meet him. These people approached Philip and he introduced them to Andrew who once again--BROUGHT THEM TO JESUS. Philip did not take them to Peter. He might have been too abrasive for them. Peter might have told them, "Don’t you know that Jesus came for the JEWS!!!" Philip brought these people who were Greeks to Andrew and together they BROUGHT THEM TO JESUS. Jesus was overjoyed to see these Gentiles coming to him. He could see how groups of people would come in the future from all over the world.
Jesus said in John 12:32, "and I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me."
Each time we see Andrew in the New Testament we see him bringing someone to Jesus. There are Andrew Ministries today for those interested in bringing people to Jesus--evangelism and outreach.
Andrew was a person who showed humility. He didn’t mind being overshadowed by his brother, Peter. He was willing to work behind the scenes when others got more recognition and credit for what was taking place. He was concerned with SERVICE for the Lord.
He seemed to connect easily with people he met. He was able to take the iniative to reach out to other people around him--three distinct groups in particular:
1. his family
2. a young person in a large crowd
3. people different from himself--the Greeks.
Friendship was a vehicle--a means of bringing people to Jesus.
Although little has been written about him in scripture, tradition has said that Andrew took the gospel to Russia, Greece, Asia minor, and Turkey. So he had missionary zeal also and could relate to a variety of people. It is said that he lived to a very old age and died a martyr’s death.
When he went to Greece in the town of Patras, Maximillia, the wife of the governor, was at the point of death. Because of his ministry to this family during a time of crisis, the governor’s wife and brother became Christians, but the governor remained hostile to the Christian faith. In fact he was so upset about this that he had Andrew arrested and condemned to death. He was bound, not nailed to a cross to prolong his death and he died of hunger and thirst.
When faced with the cross, Andrew prayed:
"Hail precious cross, thou hast been consecrated by the body of my Lord.
I have ardently loved thee. Receive me into thy arms; and present me to my master that he who redeems me on thee may receive me by thee."
CONCLUSION: What can we learn from the life of Andrew, an ordinary man? When you think, "I’m just ordinary; what can I do?"
We can learn:
1. to become more sensitive to the spiritual needs of our families. Who can we bring to Jesus who may be getting passed by because we think they are not interested?
2. to be aware of the little child in the crowd who can be brought to Jesus by see our own genuine faith in action.
3. to welcome those who are different from us into our circle of friendship and into our relationship with Jesus.
4. that an ordinary life was extraordinarly powerful when lived in the spirit of the cross.
Shall we pray:
Invite you to the altar to dedicate your life to the Lord in a new way.
