DRAWN TO JESUS—II—John 1:35-51
John recalled the manner by which Jesus’ disciples first became convinced that He was Messiah.
Some will be drawn to follow Jesus as Messiah/Christ.
What draws/attracts disciples to Jesus Christ?
Why are disciples drawn/attracted to Jesus Christ?
Jn. 6:41-45—“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father & mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered & said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard & learned from the Father comes to Me.”
8 elements of a disciple’s draw/attraction to Christ Jesus.
We have already found that Disciples are drawn to Jesus thru their…
1. DIRECTION(:35-36)Discipleship
2—Disciples are drawn to Jesus thru their…
DISCOVERY(:37-39)
Explanation:(:37-39)
:37—“The two disciples heard him speak, & they followed Jesus.”
These same “two disciples” began to “follow Jesus” for the simple reason that JTB had pointed out to them that Jesus was the “Lamb of God”(:29, 36). These two disciples of John processed John’s directive to look to himself, only as a harbinger, whose entire purpose was to point others to Jesus—God’s Salvation(Mat. 1:21). Others of his disciples were completely oblivious to JTB’s purpose in Jesus(Acts 19:1-7).
Jn. 3:25-36—“Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples & the Jews about purification. And they came to John & said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, & all are coming to Him!” John answered & said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands & hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly & speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen & heard, that He testifies; & no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, & has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; & he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
John didn’t broadcast loudly that Jesus was the Messiah, but spoke in his normal voice about Jesus’ identity. Two of JTB’s disciples heard him announce Jesus’ identity & believed it to be true. They “followed” Jesus at a distance. Something about their “following” Jesus revealed to them a certainty of who He was. It also revealed a fleshing out of JTB’s statements regarding Jesus.
“Disciples”(See :35)—mayhthv—
“Heard”—akouw—1) To be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; 2) To hear, 2b) To attend to, consider what is or has been said, 2c) To understand, perceive the sense of what is said; 3) To hear something. Strong—a primary verb; To hear(in various senses).
“Speak”—lalew—) To utter a voice or emit a sound; 2) To speak—2a) To use the tongue or the faculty of speech, 2b) To utter articulate sounds; 3) To talk; 4) To utter, tell; 5) To use words in order to declare one's mind & disclose one's thoughts—5a) To speak. Strong—a prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; To talk, i.e. Utter words.
“Followed”(See :38, 43)—akolouyew—1) To follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him; 2) To join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple—2a) Side with his party. Strong—from a(as a particle of union) & keleuyov(a road); properly—To be in the same way with, i.e. To accompany(specially--as a disciple).
:38—“Then Jesus turned, & seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” ”
The 2 heard John’s proclamation & upon hearing it, began to follow Jesus. They perceived yet did not fully understand the connotations of Jesus’ being the Lamb of God.
Jesus turned(from His walking) & noticed the 2 disciples of John following Him. It was obvious to Jesus that these 2 disciples of JTB had a healthy curiosity about Jesus.
Jesus spoke to them. He asked them a question.
**Jesus asked them “what” it was that they sought.
The 2 disciples responded by calling Jesus, “Rabbi” & asking Him where He was staying. A translation of ‘Rabbi’ was necessary for John’s audience. The target audience of the Gospel of John spoke(would speak) Greek but had(would have) no understanding of Hebrew. The Hebrew ‘Rabbi’ corresponds to the Greek word for ‘Teacher’.
“Aramaic title for "Teacher" which John here translates by didaskale as he is writing late & for general readers. Luke, a Greek Christian, does not use it, but John recalls his first use of this term to Jesus & explains it.”—RWP
**?What information would ‘seeing where Jesus stayed’ supply for a potential disciple?
When Jesus saw the disciples of JTB following He knew their curiosity was aroused to know who Jesus was, so He asked them what they really wanted.
“Turned”—strefw—1) To turn, turn around; 2) To turn one's self (i.e. To turn the back to one—2a) Of one who no longer cares for another), 2b) metaph.—To turn one's self from one's course of conduct, i.e. To change one's mind. Strong—To twist, i.e. Turn quite around or reverse (literally or figuratively).
“Beheld”—yeaomai—1) To behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate (often used of public shows)—1a) Of important persons that are looked on with admiration; 2) To view, take a view of—2a) in the sense of visiting—Meeting with a person; 3) To learn by looking, to see with the eyes, to perceive. Yeaomai is used of a lay spectator looking at a parade. yewrew denotes a careful observation of details whereas yeaomai denotes only perception in general. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb; To look closely at, i.e. by implication—Perceive (literally or figuratively); by extension—To visit.
“Following”(See :37)—akolouyew—
“Said & Say”(See :36)—legw—1) To say, to speak—1a) Affirm over, maintain, 1b) To teach, 1c) To exhort, advise, to command, direct, 1d) To point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, 1e) To call by name, to call, name, 1f) To speak out, speak of, mention. Strong—a primary verb; properly—To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively—Relate(in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue]); by implication—To mean.
“Seek”—zhtew—1) To seek in order to find—1a) To seek a thing, 1b) To seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into, 1c) To seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after; 2) To seek i.e. require, demand—2a) To crave, demand something from someone. Strong—To seek(literally or figuratively); specially(by Hebraism)—To worship(God), or (in a bad sense)—To plot(against life).
“Said”—epw—1) To speak, say. Strong—a primary verb(used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from erew, rew, & fhmi); To speak or say (by word or writing). Epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue.
“Rabbi”(See :49)—rabbi—1) My great one, my honorable sir; 2) Rabbi, a title used by the Jews to address their teachers(& also honor them when not addressing them). Strong—of Hebrew origin [br[contracted from bbr; abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)] with pronominal suffix); My master, i.e. Rabbi, as an official title of honor.
“Translated”(See :41—meyermhneuw)—ermhneuw—1) To explain in words, expound; 2) To interpret—2a) To translate what has been spoken or written in a foreign tongue into the vernacular. Strong—from a presumed derivative of Ermhv(as the god of language); To translate. Used 4X.
English= To ‘Hermeneute’ thus ‘Hermeneutics’
“Teacher”—didaskalov—1) A teacher; 2) in the NT, One who teaches concerning the things of God, & the duties of man. Strong—An instructor (genitive case or specially).
“Staying”(See :39)—menw—1) To remain, abide; 2) To wait for, await one. Strong—a primary verb; To stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy).
:39—“He said to them, “Come & see.” They came & saw where He was staying, & remained with Him that day(now it was about the tenth hour).”
In answer to their question about where Jesus’ was staying(:38), Jesus responded by inviting them to “Come” with Him in order to “see” for themselves.
*Philip would later use the same words to invite Nathanael(skeptical) to Jesus.
The 2 disciples of John got to observe where Jesus was “staying.” They spent the remainder of their day with Jesus. They were able to spend the day with Jesus because the time they sought Him out was around the 10th hour(possibly 10am—Roman civil day began as ours does—at midnight. OR possibly 4pm—Jewish reckoning—10th hour after sunrise).
Jewish time = 4PM
Roman= 10AM
“The preponderance of evidence suggests that…time was counted from sunrise to sunset(~6am-6pm), the day being divided into three-hour intervals, with people approximating the estimated time to the next full three-hour segment.”—BECNT
BUT...
“Roman time & so ten o'clock in the morning. John in Ephesus at the close of the century naturally uses Roman time. See 20:19 "evening on that day," clearly Roman time. Thus also Jn. 19:14(sixth hour, morning) & Mk. 15:25(third hour, nine A.M.) suit. **To his latest day John never forgot the hour when first he met Jesus.”—RWP
Seeing as these 2 of JTB’s disciples “remained with Him that day” rather than that ‘evening’, 10AM seems more ‘feasible’(but let’s not be monolithic).
**During their time with Jesus, they had witnessed enough to know that Jesus was the Messiah.
“Come”(See :46)—ercomai—1) To come. Ercomai denotes motion or progress generally, & of any sort, hence to "come" & arrive at, as well as "to go.” Strong—middle voice of a primary verb (used only in the present & imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred [middle voice] eleuyomai; or [active] elyw; which do not otherwise occur); To come or go(in a great variety of applications, literally & figuratively).
“See”(See :46, 47)—eidw—1) To see—1a) To perceive with the eyes, 1b) To perceive by any of the senses, 1c) To perceive, notice, discern, discover, 1d) To see—1d1) i.e. To turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything; 2) To know—2a) To know of anything, 2b) To know, i.e. Get knowledge of, understand, perceive. Eidw denotes to see with the mind's eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly—To see(literally or figuratively); by implication(in the perfect only)—To know.
WH employs here:—oraw—1) To see with the eyes; 2) To see with the mind, to perceive, know; 3) To see, i.e. become acquainted with by experience, to experience; 4) To see, to look to—4a) To take heed, beware, 4b) To care for, pay heed to; 5) I was seen, showed myself, appeared. Oraw gives prominence to the discerning mind, blepw to the particular mood or point. When the physical side recedes, oraw denotes perception in general (as resulting principally from vision), the prominence being in the mental element. Blepw on the other hand, when the physical side recedes, gets a purely outward sense.
“Stayed & Remained”(See :38)—menw—1) To remain, abide; 2) To wait for, await one. Strong—a primary verb; To stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy).
“About”—wv—Adverb—1) As, like, even as, etc.. Strong—probably adverb of comparative from ov; Which how, i.e. In that manner(very variously used).
Argumentation:
**Eph. 1:15-21—“Therefore I also, after I heard of your[church’s] faith in the Lord Jesus & your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom & revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, & what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead & seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality & power & might & dominion, & every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
**Ps. 34:8-9—“Oh, taste & see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”
Heb. 6:1-8—“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works & of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, & of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, & have tasted the heavenly gift, & have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, & have tasted the good word of God & the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, & put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, & bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns & briars, it is rejected & near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
**1Corinthians 12:3—“Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, & no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”
**1Peter 2:1-6—“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, & all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God & precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
**1John 1:1-4—“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, & our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- the life was manifested, & we have seen, & bear witness, & declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father & was manifested to us-- that which we have seen & heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; & truly our fellowship is with the Father & with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
**1Jn. 4:7-10—“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; & everyone who loves is born of God & knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us & sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Ps. 2:11, 12—“Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”
Illustration:
**A disaster occurs/Hurricane Katrina/Entire neighborhoods were completely flooded(people stranded on rooftops & floating debris)/Aftermath involved going house-to-house checking for anyone living or dead/Marked the examined houses with a spray-painted ‘X’ on the door/A proper search & investigation/DISCOVERY
Your life may be a disaster!—God’s people are called upon to reach out to you. As they come to you what do you Discover?…Love, concern, care. There are many places of death. Life is found in Jesus.
**An Election year—Those who vote Democratic or Republican or Independent or Libertarian, etc. based on blind or alignment trust rather than investigation of the candidate’s personal beliefs & values!/How ludicrous it is for a Christian to do such a thing!/DISCOVERY
Suppose our building is destroyed during a storm or a fire or a tornado, or a flood, or an earthquake/Would we rebuild without making a thorough investigation of our possessions(land/finances) & needs(purpose)/DISCOVERY
**?How deeply are you willing to delve into an area of grave importance?/DISCOVERY
Application:
?Your DISCOVERY drawn you to(or away from) Jesus?
?You Drawn to discipleship with Jesus?
3—Disciples are drawn to Jesus thru their…
PRIORITY(:40-42a)
Explanation:(:40-42a)Prioritize sharing
:40—“One of the two who heard John speak, & followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”
The identity of only one of these 2 disciples of “John” is given. “Andrew” was the one openly identified. This is typical(?) for John(the apostle) in this Gospel as he tends toward taking himself ‘out of the limelight’ as it were(cf. 13:23-25; 20:2-10; 21:20-25). “Andrew” had a brother whose given name was “Simon”(The descriptive name, ‘Peter’ was later attached to Peter by Jesus).
“The more formal call of Andrew & Simon, James & John, comes later (Mr 1:16ff; Mt 4:18ff; Lk. 5:1-11)”—RWP
James & John(Zebedee’s sons) were fishing partners with Simon(Lk. 5:10).
There were other disciples of John who heard him yet didn’t follow Jesus, even though they were plainly told John’s purpose as well as Jesus’.
“Andrew” & John were disciples of JTB. They both followed Jesus upon hearing He was the Lamb of God. “Andrew” was “Simon Peter’s brother.” John’s audience must have been familiar w/“Peter” already.
**“Andrew” is only recognized by virtue of his being a brother of “Simon Peter.”
?Does this bother some of you? ?Must you have the recognition(you deserve)?
“Andrew”—Andreav—= ‘Manly’—1) A native of Bethsaida in Galilee, brother of Simon Peter, a disciple of John the Baptist, & afterwards an apostle of Christ. He is said to have been crucified at Patrae in Archaia. Strong— from—anhr—A man(properly as an individual male).
“Simon”—Simwn—Of Hebrew origin—Nwemv Shim`own—Simeon or Shimeon = “Heard.” 1) The 2nd son of Jacob by his wife Leah & progenitor of the tribe of Simeon.
See :Gen. 29:33(31-24; 35:16-20).
“Brother”—adelfov—1) A brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother; 2) Having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman; 3) Any fellow or man; 4) A fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection; 5) An associate in employment or office; 6) Brethren in Christ. Strong—from A(as a connective particle) & delfuv(the womb); A brother(literally or figuratively) near or remote.
:41—“He first found his own brother Simon, & said to him, “We have found the Messiah”(which is translated, the Christ).”
Before he did anything else, Andrew made it his priority to “first find” his brother, named “Simon.”
From his time spent with Jesus, Andrew revealed his understanding of Jesus’ identity to his “brother Simon.” Andrew told “Simon” that “we” had “found the Messiah.” “Messiah” means “Christ” in the language of John’s target audience.
“ ‘Christ’ is the Greek equivalent of “Messiah” meaning “Anointed.”
Obviously “Simon” was in league with his brother “Andrew” in seeking the “Messiah/Christ.”
The “first” person Andrew went to was his own brother. Does this imply that he went to others as well later?…Very probably so…If we are convinced of a ‘cure’ we want to share that ‘cure’ with others.
“First”—prwtov—Adj.—1) First in time or place—1a) in any succession of things or persons; 2) First in rank—2a) Influence, honor, 2b) Chief, 2c) Principal; 3) First, at the first. Strong—Foremost (in time, place, order or importance).
“Found”2X—euriskw—1) To come upon, hit upon, to meet with; 2) To find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice & experience; 3) To find out for one's self, to acquire, get, obtain, procure. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary eurw; which (together with another cognate form eurew) is used for it in all the tenses except the present & imperfect; To find (literally or figuratively).
“Simon”—Simwn—of Hebrew origin [Nwemv Shim’own]= “Hearing”
“Said”(See :36, 38, 39)—legw—
“Messiah”—Messiav—= ‘’Anointed’—1) the Greek form of Messiah; 2) A name of Christ.
From xyvm maw-shee’-akh;—anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint); specifically, the Messiah.
“Translated”(See :38—ermhneuw)—meyermhneuw—1) To translate into the language of one with whom I wish to communicate, to interpret. Strong—To explain over, i.e. Translate. Used 7X.
From—meta—a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly—denoting accompaniment; "amid"(local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive case association, or accusative case succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between apo[off] or ek[from, out] & eiv[to or into] or prov[forward to or toward]; less intimate than en[in] & less close than sun[with])—&—ermhneuw[See :38]—To translate.
“Christ”—Cristov—Adj.—Christ = “Anointed.” Strong—anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.
:42(a)—“And he brought him to Jesus….”
Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus. Andrew wanted his own brother to experience the Christ/Messiah just as John & he had earlier.
All the disciples of JTB were looking for the Messiah & knew that JTB had disclosed Messiah’s identity as Jesus. Peter as well as Andrew must have been a disciple of JTB. Andrew “brought” “Simon” directly to Jesus.
**The Good News of Jesus is never to be kept to oneself! If it is then your news is not Good enough to be shared!
Whom do you love enough to share the truth with?…close—distant?
Who goes without hearing from you?…Why?
What is your rationale behind your support(prayer/training/financial) of missions(local/national/international)?
“Brought”—agw—Strong—a primary verb; properly—To lead; by implication—To bring, drive, reflexively—Go, specially—Pass(time), or figuratively—Induce.
Argumentation:
**Deut. 4:5-9—“Surely I[Moses] have taught you statutes & judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom & your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, & say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise & understanding people.’ “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes & righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, & diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, & lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children & your grandchildren,…”
**Jn. 15:9-17—“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments & abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, & that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you & appointed you that you should go & bear fruit, & that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.
Mat. 9:35-10:1—“Then Jesus went about all the cities & villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, & healing every sickness & every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary & scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, & to heal all kinds of sickness & all kinds of disease.”…
…& later:
Lk. 10:1-11—“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, & sent them two by two before His face into every city & place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; & greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating & drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, & they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, & say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ “But whatever city you enter, & they do not receive you, go out into its streets & say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’
**Tim. 4:10-16—“For to this end we both labor & suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command & teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself & to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself & those who hear you.”
**Mk. 4:3-9, 13-20—“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; & the birds of the air came & devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; & immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, & because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; & the thorns grew up & choked it, & it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground & yielded a crop that sprang up, increased & produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, & some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”…..“And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word[of God]. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately & takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; & they have no root in themselves, & so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, & the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, & the desires for other things entering in choke the word, & it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, & bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, & some a hundred.”
**2Thess. 3:1—“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly & be glorified, just as it is with you,”
Mk. 16:14-16—“Later He[Jesus after His resurrection] appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; & He rebuked their unbelief & hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world & preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes & is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
**Acts 26:12-18—“While thus occupied, as I[Paul] journeyed to Damascus with authority & commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king[Agrippa], along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me & those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me & saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ‘But rise & stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister & a witness both of the things which you have seen & of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, & from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins & an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Illustration:
Whom do you love enough?—or so much that you would share the truth with them?/Parents—Your children must hear the Good News!/Our opportunities for ‘sharing’ may vary from moment to moment…but the charge/command to ‘share’ never varies!/PRIORITY
**The purpose of preaching is NOT that what is preached remains within these walls!/Rather, it is that you may become convinced, as I am, that Jesus is the Son of God your Savior & your Lord—the Mediator of all truth, reality, God’s desire, etc.!/PRIORITY
**Our Southern Baptist polity ensures biblical doctrine is prioritized, with its obvious focus on evangelism, & thereby missions both foreign & domestic/PRIORITY(see DIRECTION)
Application:
?Have Your PRIORITIES drawn you to(or away from) Jesus?
?Does Jesus determine your PRIORITIES?
?You Drawn to discipleship with Jesus?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Action:
Disciples are drawn to Jesus thru their…
2. DISCOVERY(:37-39)
3. PRIORITY(:40-42a) Prioritize sharing
1. DIRECTION(:35-36)Discipleship
Presented 08/24/2014pm to:
FBC CBelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
