The Great Adventure
Text: John 1:43-51
Introduction
1. Started out this morning
In the usual way
Chasing thoughts inside my head
Of all I had to do today
Another time around the circle
Try to make it better than the last
I opened up the Bible
And I read about me
Said, I'd been a prisoner
And God's grace had set me free
And somewhere between the pages
It hit me like a lightning bolt
I saw a big frontier in front of me
And I heard somebody say, "Let's go"
Saddle up your horses
We've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder
Of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our Leader
Into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other
This is the great adventure
2. The Christian life is not religion; it's an adventure!
3. In this great adventure...
a. Jesus Invites Us
b. We Invite Other
c. A New World Awaits Us
4. Let's stand as we read John 1:43-51
Proposition: Jesus invites us on a great adventure that will change us forever.
Transition: The first thing that happens on this adventure is...
I. Jesus Invites Us (43-44).
A. Come Follow Me
1. Many Christians when they talk about coming to Christ takk about things like "going on a search," or "finding Jesus."
a. In fact, I love the scene in the movie Forrest Gump where Lt. Dan asks Forrest, "How about you Gump, have you found Jesus?," and he replies, "I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him!"
b. You see, the whole idea of us looking for Jesus is contrary to what the Bible teaches, because according to Scripture Jesus comes looking for us.
2. This concept is expressed in v 43 which says, "The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”
a. In the previous section Jesus is not said to have done anything to draw Andrew and the others.
b. They heard the Baptist's words and followed or were brought by one another. Here Jesus takes the initiative.
c. The name "Philip" is Greek (and means "lover of horses"). The other Gospel’s mention Philip in lists of the apostles, but give us no further information about him.
d. John brings him before us on a number of occasions. Each time he seems somewhat out of his element, and it is probable that he was of limited ability.
e. His contribution to feeding the multitude is the information that they could not be fed even with two hundred denarii worth of bread (6:7).
f. When the Greeks came to him asking to see Jesus he did not know what to do, and he had to consult with Andrew before bringing the men to Jesus (12:21-22). And it was Philip who asked Jesus in the upper room to show them the Father—that is all they ask! (14:8-9).
g. The fact that on this occasion he did not seek out Jesus, but Jesus went to find him may indicate some lack of initiative.
h. If so it is encouraging to reflect that Jesus went out of his way to find this rather limited man and to enlist him in the apostolic band.
i. Some of the apostles were undoubtedly men of great ability, but Philip compels us to realize that others were perfectly ordinary people. Jesus had (and has) use for such followers.
j. The verb "Follow" will be used here in its full sense of "follow as a disciple." The present tense has continuous force, "keep on following."(Morris, The New International Commentary on the New Testament – The Gospel According to John, 141).
3. An interesting comment happens in the next verse, "Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown."
a. Bethsaida, "house of fishing," was situated on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee.
b. The town is referred to seven times in the New Testament. "The city of Andrew and Peter" was the same as that of Philip.
c. It is very likely that Andrew, in his zeal for others to know Jesus (1:41), had been telling Philip about Him. This can explain Philip's ready response to Jesus (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 43).
d. It is interesting that John includes this comment for two reasons. First, the towns name means "house of fishing," is interesting because Jesus called them to be fishers of men.
e. Second, it is interesting because it was their home town. Jesus always asks us to reach those nearest to us first. While he calls us to go to the ends of the earth, he always asks us to go to those close by.
B. Unless The Father Draws
1. Illustration: In his best selling book called, "Into Thin Air," Jon Krakauer relates the hazards that plagued some climbers as they attempted to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Andy Harris, one of the expedition leaders stayed at the peak too long and on his descent, he became in dire need of oxygen. Harris radioed the base camp and told them about his predicament. He mentioned that he had come across a cache of oxygen canisters left by the other climbers but they were all empty. The climbers who already passed the canisters on their own descent knew they were not empty, but full. They pleaded with him on the radio to make use of them but it was to no avail. Harris was starved for oxygen but he continued to argue that the canisters were empty.
The problem was that the lack of what he needed had so disoriented his mind that though he was surrounded by something that would give him life, he continued to complain of its absence. The lack of oxygen had ravaged his capacity to recognize what was right in front of him.
Friends, what oxygen is to the body, the Bread of Life is to the soul. Some of us are suffocating and starving and we don’t even know it. Jesus is offering life to us while we run around trying to appease our appetites. We will never be filled until we take of the Bread and Water of life, Jesus Christ.
2. Even though we have sinned and fallen away from God, he comes after us.
a. John 6:44-45 (NLT)
For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. 45 As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.
b. Even when we have turned against him.
c. Even when we have disobeyed him and rebeled against him.
d. He comes after us and draws us back.
e. He takes the initiative and draws us to himself.
f. It doesn't matter how far you have strayed he will come after you and bring you back.
Transition: After he has taken the first step he then puts within us the desire to invite others.
II. We Invite Others (45-46).
A. Phillip Went
1. It didn't take Phillip long to go on the initiative and look for someone to tell about Jesus.
2. In v. 45 we read, "Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
a. The plural "we" shows that Philip had already identified himself with the little group about Jesus.
b. Nothing is recorded of Nathanael other than this incident and his presence among the fishermen.
c. Philip speaks of Jesus as the object of prophecy; both Moses and the prophets have spoken of him.
d. This is, of course, another way of calling him Messiah. In an unobtrusive but very definite way John, in accordance with his declared aim, is emphasizing that Jesus is the Messiah.
e. Andrew and his friend recognized him, and now Philip does the same.
f. Philip does so in terms that show that the messianic ministry of Jesus was to fulfill the purposes of God from of old as they have been recorded in Holy Scripture.
g. When Philip speaks of Jesus as "the son of Joseph" we should not take the words as a denial of the Virgin Birth.
h. Joseph was the legal father of Jesus, and the Lord would accordingly be known as Joseph's son. In any case it is unlikely that the Virgin Birth would have been communicated already to such a new disciple as Philip (Morris, 144).
i. Philip's testimony to Nathanael revealed the depth of his spiritual understanding.
j. He realized that Jesus was at the same time the long-awaited Messiah and "the son of Joseph."
k. He recognized Him as the One of whom Moses wrote and the One of whom the prophets spoke (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 43).
3. If you've ever invited someone to come to Jesus or to church and they gave you grief over it, you're not alone. Look at what Nathaniel says to Phillip, “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” But then Phillip has a great response, “Come and see for yourself,”
a. Nathanael's skeptical question does not reflect, as far as is known, a widely held opinion of Nazareth.
b. It was not a famous city, but we have no reason for thinking it was infamous.
c. We should probably understand Nathanael's words as the utterance of a man who could not conceive of the Messiah as coming from such an insignificant place.
d. Moreover, since Nathanael himself came from Cana, it is not at all improbable that we have here a trace of the rivalry that often grips small centers (and bigger ones!) not far from one another.
e. Philip was not a particularly resourceful man (see on v. 43), and he did not attempt to convince his friend by argument.
f. Instead he invited him to see for himself, which, in the circumstances, was probably as wise an answer as he could have given.
g. It is good advice still. "Come and see" was a formula common among the rabbis.
h. They used it to show that a solution to a particular problem was possible and that it should be sought together. The expression might also point to something new or important or the like (Morris, 144).
i. So the best way to deal with a skeptic is simply invite them to investigate Jesus for themselves.
B. Personal Evangelism
1. Illustration: "We as individual Christians and collective churches need to recalibrate our sights on the target God has gen us: spiritually lost people. If people matter to God, then they'd better matter to us, too ... Deep in every true Christian, there is an awareness that we are on this planet for purposes greater than having a career, paying the bills, loving our families, and fulfilling our role as upstanding citizens ... God wants us to become contagious Christians - His agents, who will first catch His love and then urgently and infectiously offer it to all who are willing to consider it." (Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels).
2. It's as simple as walking across the room!
a. Mark 16:15 (NLT)
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone."
b. It's a simple as walking across the room, or the street, or the yard.
c. It's as simple as talking to someone about what Jesus has done in your life.
d. It doesn't have to be complicated or even theological.
e. It just has to be real; be yourself!
f. But they won't know if you don't tell them.
Transition: All because of an invitation...
III. A New World Awaits Us (47-51).
A. Great Things Than This
1. Since Jesus knows all about us, sometimes he can really blow us away. That's what happens with Nathaniel.
2. In v. 47 it says, "As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”
a. As Nathanael approached, Jesus spoke of him as "a genuine son of Israel, a man of complete integrity"; ESV has "no deceit!"
b. This last word is used in earlier Greek writers for the "bait" used in catching fish.
c. It comes to signify "any cunning contrivance for deceiving or catching.
d. It is used in the Bible of Jacob before his change of heart (Gen. 27:35). Jesus salutes Nathanael as a straightforward person (Morris, 145).
e. A casual observer might have taken Nathanael's question in the previous verse as evidence of prejudice or of calloused skepticism.
f. Jesus, however, saw it was an honest question from a seeker after truth (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 45).
3. Look at what happens next, "As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” 48 “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”
a. Nathanael asked how Jesus knew about him. Seeing Nathanael under the fig tree was the exercise of omniscience, which only God has.
b. If He so desired, Jesus could have told Nathanael what he was thinking when Philip called him. Something intimately personal, by way of revelation, was communicated to Nathanael by Jesus' remark (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 45).
c. Rabbi" is the same word Andrew and John used in verse 38 . It means "my lord, my master" and was used as an honorary title to show great respect to outstanding teachers.
d. Next, Nathanael confessed that he now believed Jesus was indeed the King of Israel, the Son of God as John the Baptist had presented Him.
e. The One who fulfilled the prophecies of the Son of God was to be the King of Israel (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 45).
4. Jesus response to him is then, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”
a. The "greater things" which Jesus told Nathanael he would see would be the unfolding glory of God.
b. Nathanael did indeed see a multitude of miracles. He heard the truth expounded as no other man ever gave it.
c. Nathanael was a witness of the resurrection and ascension of the Son of God.
d. He was the recipient of the glorious baptism in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
e. He "saw" God at work throughout his life and ministry (The Complete Biblical Library – John, 47).
B. Great Adventure
1. We'll travel over, over mountains so high
We'll go through valleys below
Still through it all, we'll find that
This is the greatest journey
That the human heart will ever see
2. Following Jesus is the greatest adventure that anyone can be on.
a. John 10:10 (NIV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
b. Jesus came to give us the greatest adventure of our lives.
c. He didn't necessarily come to give us the easiest life.
d. He didn't come so we would have a stress free life.
e. He came to give us a life that is an adventure.
f. Adventures have times of great joy, but they also have times of great challenges.
g. But I would rather faces lifes challenges with Jesus than without him.
h. With him we can face whatever the journey throws at us.
i. With him we can face challenges head on and overcome them.
j. With him we can live the great adventure.
Conclusion
1. In this great adventure...
a. Jesus Invites Us
b. We Invite Other
c. A New World Awaits Us
2. Saddle up your horses
We've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder
Of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our Leader
Into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other
This is the great adventure
