Take A Tip From Andrew

Take a Tip from Andrew

John 1:35-42

February 10, 2002

Introduction

Today, in line with what Brother Joe shared with us, I wanted to use our time together to expand on the theme of winning men and women, boys and girls, to the Lord Jesus Christ.

By the way, God used the Gideons to awaken my desire to see souls saved for His kingdom, and He allowed me to lead a number of people to Christ through my involvement.

I can’t recommend enough the ministry of the Gideons, especially if you are looking for a ministry to the lost.

I would like us to look at a short passage of Scripture that gives us a brief lesson on how we can reach some of our loved one for Christ.

And in doing so, my hope is that you will see the simplicity of reaching people, and more importantly, catch the excitement that sets the Apostle Andrew apart.

Please turn with me to John 1:35-42. If you are using one of the Bibles in the seats, this can be found on page 750.

By the way, if you are in need of a Bible, we invite you to take one of these in the seats. We want you to have a copy of God’s Word that is readable and affordable. They are free for you and we are glad to make them available.

In case you’re wondering, I got the idea for the church to provide these from my involvement with the Gideons.

Please follow along as I read the passage.

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"

They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."

So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

I. He looked for the Savior.

God had already been working in Andrew’s life. He was sensitive to his own need for a Savior, and that’s why he was hanging around John the Baptist.

He had been a disciple of John the Baptist, but look again at what happened, back at verses 37-38, when John pointed out Jesus:

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"

They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

Andrew saw that John was right, and turned his allegiance to the one the prophet pointed him.

And after he went to Jesus, he spent time with Him.

When Andrew and the other guy came up to Jesus, Jesus asked them what they wanted, probably to see if they were after something other than what Jesus had for them.

But they said, “Where are you staying?” They wanted to spend time with Him.

I think it’s human nature to want to spend time with people we admire. Unfortunately, sometimes we or our loved ones pick people who are admirable for all the wrong reasons.

But then we come across some people who possess qualities that you desire to be around.

Some in my own life include guys like Pastor Tim Purcell, from the Brookings Wesleyan Church, who has been my biggest cheerleader since being called to ministry.

He is wise and caring, and a great mentor. Pastor Ron Wickard is another guy I just can’t get enough time with. I just love him and his caring spirit.

I’ve mentioned Sam Crabtree about a thousand times since coming here.

Just two more and I will move on. Our District Superintendent, Isaac Smith, is another person I admire, and the thing I admire most about him is his leadership and vision.

And by the way, he likes what he sees God doing in the life of this church, and he is excited about what God will do through us as well.

The last person I want to mention is Mark Butcher, our Asst. District Superintendent. He is a great pastor to us pastors. He cares about us and he cares about our ministries.

He also has great leadership skills and vision.