WEBVTT 00:00:00.699 --> 00:00:04.099 Amen. One of the things that has impressed me 00:00:04.099 --> 00:00:07.799 as I have learned more about the crusade is the 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:11.560 elaborate follow -up that is attempted, at least, 00:00:11.619 --> 00:00:15.339 to be put in place. It depends upon us. But there 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:18.300 is a very fine program that begins actually with 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:22.359 the counselor himself or herself on the very 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:25.800 night that they counsel with someone after the 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:29.789 call, the altar call is made. And then there 00:00:29.789 --> 00:00:32.689 are Bible studies that are organized through 00:00:32.689 --> 00:00:36.969 local churches, and materials are given out, 00:00:37.350 --> 00:00:40.570 letters are sent out, and so it's really a very 00:00:40.570 --> 00:00:42.329 thorough job, and I've been impressed with that. 00:00:42.329 --> 00:00:44.229 And I want to thank all of you who've been a 00:00:44.229 --> 00:00:47.750 part of helping us as a church to get up to speed 00:00:47.750 --> 00:00:50.929 for the crusade, and especially for the Christian 00:00:50.929 --> 00:00:53.909 Life and Witness classes. Irv Carlson and a whole 00:00:53.909 --> 00:00:57.289 team of people working with him did an outstanding 00:00:57.289 --> 00:01:02.060 job. getting us ready week by week for five weeks 00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:07.060 to host 900 to 1 ,100 people that came for that 00:01:07.060 --> 00:01:10.400 training. So thank you very much those of you 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:13.420 who worked and for all of you who came either 00:01:13.420 --> 00:01:16.219 to this location or to one of the other locations 00:01:16.219 --> 00:01:19.719 to be trained to counsel. So that's something 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:23.879 that will stick with us long after the crusade 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:28.159 is over. the kinds of tools that we learn to 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:31.959 use in those classes. So I hope that we'll keep 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:35.099 that in mind and continue to be used of the Lord 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:39.299 long after Billy Graham has left our city. Now 00:01:39.299 --> 00:01:41.299 in light of the fact that this is the Sunday 00:01:41.299 --> 00:01:44.120 when we have emphasized the Billy Graham crusade, 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:46.920 we're going to take a break for today from the 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:50.239 book of Colossians and go to the Gospel of John, 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:52.739 to the first chapter. I invite you to turn there 00:01:52.739 --> 00:01:56.650 in the Word of God with me. where we will begin 00:01:56.650 --> 00:02:00.790 reading in the 35th verse. Some of you may be 00:02:00.790 --> 00:02:05.250 familiar with an organizational observation that 00:02:05.250 --> 00:02:09.669 might be called the Peter Principle. Now the 00:02:09.669 --> 00:02:11.949 Peter Principle really wasn't named after the 00:02:11.949 --> 00:02:14.569 Apostle Peter, although some people think that. 00:02:15.770 --> 00:02:18.530 It was named after the person who actually stated 00:02:18.530 --> 00:02:22.110 it and put it down, but... The idea of the Peter 00:02:22.110 --> 00:02:24.949 Principle is simply that people in an organization 00:02:24.949 --> 00:02:28.629 tend to rise to the level of their incompetence. 00:02:30.449 --> 00:02:33.050 And if you have worked in an organization you 00:02:33.050 --> 00:02:36.969 probably have seen examples of that. Well this 00:02:36.969 --> 00:02:38.810 morning I don't want to talk about the Peter 00:02:38.810 --> 00:02:42.069 Principle. I want to talk about the Andrew Principle. 00:02:42.909 --> 00:02:45.169 I want you to discover with me in our study of 00:02:45.169 --> 00:02:48.569 the Word of God what the Andrew Principle is. 00:02:48.889 --> 00:02:52.229 because it is illustrated in the experience of 00:02:52.229 --> 00:02:56.129 the disciple, Andrew, who was one of the very 00:02:56.129 --> 00:03:00.669 first followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The 00:03:00.669 --> 00:03:05.210 apostle's purpose in writing the Gospel of John 00:03:05.210 --> 00:03:08.909 is found in the 20th chapter and the 31st verse 00:03:08.909 --> 00:03:11.530 where he says, these things have been written 00:03:11.530 --> 00:03:15.169 that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, 00:03:15.370 --> 00:03:19.050 the Son of God. and that believing you may have 00:03:19.050 --> 00:03:26.569 life in His name." With that purpose in mind, 00:03:27.629 --> 00:03:30.789 John picked up the pen to write about the life 00:03:30.789 --> 00:03:35.490 of Jesus. By the superintending work of the Holy 00:03:35.490 --> 00:03:40.069 Spirit, John recorded selected materials from 00:03:40.069 --> 00:03:46.270 the life of Jesus in order to persuade his readers 00:03:46.270 --> 00:03:52.210 of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And 00:03:52.210 --> 00:03:56.289 that believing that truth, they might have life 00:03:56.289 --> 00:04:01.530 in Jesus' name. Here in the first chapter of 00:04:01.530 --> 00:04:06.569 John alone, he gives seven titles to the Lord 00:04:06.569 --> 00:04:10.729 Jesus Christ. In chapter 1, verse 1, he calls 00:04:10.729 --> 00:04:17.029 him the Word. In chapter 1, verse 23, He calls 00:04:17.029 --> 00:04:25.430 Him the Lord. In verse 29, the Lamb of God. And 00:04:25.430 --> 00:04:31.110 again in verse 36. In verse 34, He gives Jesus 00:04:31.110 --> 00:04:34.670 the title the Son of God. And again in verse 00:04:34.670 --> 00:04:40.889 49. In verse 41, He calls Him the Messiah, or 00:04:40.889 --> 00:04:46.060 the Christ. In verse 49, the King of Israel, 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:49.100 and in the last verse of the chapter, he gives 00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:54.740 the title to Jesus, the Son of Man. This Gospel 00:04:54.740 --> 00:04:59.480 is about Jesus Christ, who He is, and what He 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:05.839 did on our behalf. The Gospel opens with a prologue 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:14.180 that introduces to us the Word. The word is Jesus 00:05:14.180 --> 00:05:20.759 Christ who it is said was God Who became flesh 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:25.279 and lived among us in order that he might reveal 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:34.800 the invisible God to us After giving his introduction 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:40.120 John then proceeds with a narrative He opens 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:46.149 with the witness of John the Baptizer to who 00:05:46.149 --> 00:05:51.850 Jesus was. And he tells us as he tells about 00:05:51.850 --> 00:05:57.310 John how the first followers came to follow Jesus. 00:05:59.670 --> 00:06:02.670 Now we marvel at the humility and the understanding 00:06:02.670 --> 00:06:09.180 of John the Baptist regarding his mission. He 00:06:09.180 --> 00:06:11.720 begins in verse 19 by saying, and this is the 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:17.699 witness of John. John was preaching for the Lord 00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:21.180 out in the wilderness of Judea, baptizing in 00:06:21.180 --> 00:06:26.019 the Jordan River with a baptism of repentance 00:06:26.019 --> 00:06:32.639 of sin. And because of the stir his ministry 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:36.500 was causing, The religious leaders in Jerusalem 00:06:36.500 --> 00:06:38.920 sent a delegation out into the wilderness to 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:44.779 find this rather strange man. And having found 00:06:44.779 --> 00:06:55.819 him, they said, who are you? And John said, well, 00:06:55.819 --> 00:07:02.639 I'm not Elijah, and I'm not the prophet, and 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:07.439 I'm not the Christ. But John said, verse 23, 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:15.879 I am a voice. I'm a voice. Notice the humility 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:20.680 of this man. He says, I am a voice crying out 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:23.860 in the wilderness, make straight the way of the 00:07:23.860 --> 00:07:32.120 Lord. As Isaiah predicted, I would. John knew 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:36.610 who he was. and John knew why he was in the world. 00:07:38.430 --> 00:07:40.509 These same people said, well, John, why are you 00:07:40.509 --> 00:07:44.209 baptizing if you're not someone who's important? 00:07:45.449 --> 00:07:48.870 And John answered in verse 26, I baptize in water, 00:07:48.930 --> 00:07:52.050 but among you stands one whom you do not know. 00:07:52.810 --> 00:07:56.930 It is he who comes after me, the thong of whose 00:07:56.930 --> 00:08:02.250 sandal I am not worthy to untie. John knew who 00:08:02.250 --> 00:08:07.939 he was. He knew he was the forerunner of Jesus. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:13.079 That he was sent by God to prepare the way for 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:17.600 the Messiah. To cultivate the hearts of the people 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:20.680 of Israel so that the Messiah might come and 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:24.660 sow the truth of God. He said, I am a voice. 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:30.480 And as a voice crying in the wilderness, he witnessed 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:35.120 to Jesus. He declared the identity of Jesus. 00:08:37.340 --> 00:08:40.120 The next day after this delegation from Jerusalem 00:08:40.120 --> 00:08:44.559 had questioned him, it says that John saw Jesus 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:51.840 coming to him and he said, behold, the Lamb of 00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:59.840 God who takes away the sin of the world. He identified 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:05.850 Jesus. He says in verse 30, After me comes a 00:09:05.850 --> 00:09:10.470 man who has a higher rank than I, for he existed 00:09:10.470 --> 00:09:17.309 before me. And yet we know from the record of 00:09:17.309 --> 00:09:22.610 Luke that John actually was born first. And yet 00:09:22.610 --> 00:09:26.690 John says he existed before me, a testimony to 00:09:26.690 --> 00:09:31.690 the pre -existence. of Jesus Christ. He existed 00:09:31.690 --> 00:09:37.549 eternally before John. Then in verse 34, John 00:09:37.549 --> 00:09:41.750 says, I have seen and have borne witness that 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:49.129 this is the Son of God. Notice the understanding 00:09:49.129 --> 00:09:54.129 of the mission that characterized this humble 00:09:54.129 --> 00:10:01.350 prophet. And as Jesus came onto the scene, John's 00:10:01.350 --> 00:10:04.049 humility is further evidenced by the fact that 00:10:04.049 --> 00:10:10.929 he sent his followers after Jesus. We see this 00:10:10.929 --> 00:10:12.889 not only in the text that we're going to read, 00:10:12.909 --> 00:10:17.750 but we see it in chapter 3 and verse 22 where 00:10:17.750 --> 00:10:20.750 it says, after these things, Jesus and his disciples 00:10:20.750 --> 00:10:25.080 came into the land of Judea, and there he was 00:10:25.080 --> 00:10:29.820 spending time with them and baptizing. And John 00:10:29.820 --> 00:10:35.059 also was baptizing in Anan near Salem. Because 00:10:35.059 --> 00:10:37.220 there was much water there and they were coming 00:10:37.220 --> 00:10:39.779 and were being baptized, John had not yet been 00:10:39.779 --> 00:10:44.059 thrown into prison. There arose therefore a discussion 00:10:44.059 --> 00:10:47.080 on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about 00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:49.320 purification. And they came to John and said 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:52.610 to him, Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the 00:10:52.610 --> 00:10:56.070 Jordan to whom you have borne witness." That's 00:10:56.070 --> 00:11:00.889 Jesus. Behold, he is baptizing and all are coming 00:11:00.889 --> 00:11:05.870 to him. John said, a man can receive nothing 00:11:05.870 --> 00:11:08.110 unless it be given him from heaven. You yourselves 00:11:08.110 --> 00:11:10.649 bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, 00:11:11.610 --> 00:11:15.549 but I have been sent before him. He who has the 00:11:15.549 --> 00:11:21.769 bride is the bridegroom. That's Jesus. But the 00:11:21.769 --> 00:11:27.309 friend of the bridegroom, that's John, who stands 00:11:27.309 --> 00:11:30.490 and hears him rejoices greatly because of the 00:11:30.490 --> 00:11:34.570 bridegroom's voice. And so this joy of mine has 00:11:34.570 --> 00:11:37.490 been made full. And then look at this statement. 00:11:38.129 --> 00:11:47.250 He must increase, but I must decrease. Here is 00:11:47.250 --> 00:11:49.370 a man who has been significant on the scene of 00:11:49.370 --> 00:11:56.470 Israel, albeit for only a few months. And yet 00:11:56.470 --> 00:11:59.429 pride has no place in his life. He says, I must 00:11:59.429 --> 00:12:06.210 decrease. He must increase. John was not a follower 00:12:06.210 --> 00:12:09.909 of Jesus. Not that he didn't know who he was 00:12:09.909 --> 00:12:13.870 and didn't believe, but John was an Old Testament 00:12:13.870 --> 00:12:21.110 prophet, the greatest. of them. He was not a 00:12:21.110 --> 00:12:24.049 follower of Jesus, but he was the forerunner 00:12:24.049 --> 00:12:28.309 of Jesus. He played a unique role in the plan 00:12:28.309 --> 00:12:37.809 of God. You and I need to be like John. We need 00:12:37.809 --> 00:12:42.289 to understand that God has a role for us. It's 00:12:42.289 --> 00:12:44.809 not to be John the Baptist. I'm glad. I enjoy 00:12:44.809 --> 00:12:53.509 my head. So we have a role, and we will fulfill 00:12:53.509 --> 00:12:56.870 that role as we also have a spirit that says 00:12:56.870 --> 00:13:07.169 he must increase. I must decrease. Now going 00:13:07.169 --> 00:13:11.110 back to chapter 1, John gives us some insight 00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:13.809 as to how Jesus' first followers came to him. 00:13:17.750 --> 00:13:23.070 And here we note the means by which people became 00:13:23.070 --> 00:13:26.090 followers of Jesus. It says in verse 35, again 00:13:26.090 --> 00:13:30.269 the next day, John was standing with two of his 00:13:30.269 --> 00:13:33.389 disciples and he looked upon Jesus as he walked 00:13:33.389 --> 00:13:38.409 and said, Behold the Lamb of God. The same statement 00:13:38.409 --> 00:13:41.990 as the day before, abbreviated, but the same 00:13:41.990 --> 00:13:44.350 statement. And this time Jesus is not walking 00:13:44.350 --> 00:13:48.850 toward John. Jesus is apparently walking by. 00:13:50.330 --> 00:13:52.730 John is standing with two of his disciples and 00:13:52.730 --> 00:13:57.129 he says, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two 00:13:57.129 --> 00:14:01.289 disciples heard him speak and they followed him. 00:14:02.230 --> 00:14:04.769 They understood what John was saying. He was 00:14:04.769 --> 00:14:07.889 pointing to Jesus. And the two of them began 00:14:07.889 --> 00:14:11.129 then to follow Jesus. And Jesus turned and beheld 00:14:11.129 --> 00:14:14.879 them following and said to them, What do you 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:19.519 seek? Notice he doesn't ask, whom do you seek? 00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:23.200 They were to understand that, but Jesus asked 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:29.039 them, what is it you are seeking? And they said 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:31.440 to him, Rabbi, which is the translated teacher, 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:35.519 where are you staying? You see, they answered 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.899 with a question. The question really implies, 00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:41.700 we want to come and spend time with you. We want 00:14:41.700 --> 00:14:45.690 to be with you. We declare that you are a teacher, 00:14:46.009 --> 00:14:53.049 a rabbi, a respected scholar of the law. We want 00:14:53.049 --> 00:14:56.429 to be with you. Where are you staying? And Jesus 00:14:56.429 --> 00:15:01.610 said to them, come, come and you will see. And 00:15:01.610 --> 00:15:03.889 they came therefore and saw where he was staying. 00:15:03.909 --> 00:15:07.529 Now we don't know where that was. It may have 00:15:07.529 --> 00:15:11.210 been a simple structure made out of cloth or 00:15:11.210 --> 00:15:15.679 out of palm branches. a temporary place, undoubtedly. 00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:20.360 And Jesus invites them to come and to spend time 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:23.500 with him. And John notes that it was about the 00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:26.759 tenth hour, which in John's reckoning of time 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:30.539 means about four o 'clock in the afternoon. And 00:15:30.539 --> 00:15:33.159 so it's implied here that they spent the evening 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:36.679 and the night with Jesus. Wouldn't you like to 00:15:36.679 --> 00:15:39.919 have been a part of that conversation? to know 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:42.759 what Jesus said to these men who were beginning 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:47.100 to follow him. And then John, who is the apostle 00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:49.440 now, remember you have to pray John the Baptist 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:53.179 and John the apostle. John who's writing this 00:15:53.179 --> 00:15:56.039 says, one of the two who heard John the Baptist 00:15:56.039 --> 00:16:00.759 speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:08.029 brother. He found first His own brother Simon 00:16:08.029 --> 00:16:12.549 and said to him we have found the Messiah Which 00:16:12.549 --> 00:16:17.990 translated means Christ? he brought him to Jesus 00:16:17.990 --> 00:16:23.350 and so the Text suggests to us that the next 00:16:23.350 --> 00:16:26.350 day the very next day after having spent some 00:16:26.350 --> 00:16:32.049 time with Jesus Andrew and whoever it was with 00:16:32.049 --> 00:16:35.820 him and by the way It's most likely that it was 00:16:35.820 --> 00:16:39.399 John who's writing this. John does never identify 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:45.059 himself in his writing. He is a man who defers, 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:50.679 who is reserved. And so he always refers to himself 00:16:50.679 --> 00:16:54.919 in some hidden way, some third -person way, and 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:58.200 most likely it was John who's writing this who 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:03.539 was with Andrew that night with Jesus. And it 00:17:03.539 --> 00:17:06.440 says that it was Andrew who first found his own 00:17:06.440 --> 00:17:09.400 brother. Now, exactly what that means we don't 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:12.799 know because the language allows room for two 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:14.720 or three different interpretations. It could 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:18.420 be that it means that this was a priority to 00:17:18.420 --> 00:17:20.980 Andrew that first he had to find his brother 00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:27.119 before he found others. Or it could mean that 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.640 Andrew and John were both going out to look for 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:33.509 their brothers. John had a brother, too. What 00:17:33.509 --> 00:17:37.210 was his name? James. James and John, the sons 00:17:37.210 --> 00:17:40.170 of Zebedee. But it was Andrew who found his brother 00:17:40.170 --> 00:17:43.710 first, not John. So it could be taken either 00:17:43.710 --> 00:17:48.809 way. The point is that Andrew, as John records 00:17:48.809 --> 00:17:55.130 it, immediately went to tell his brother. What 00:17:55.130 --> 00:17:58.369 we see in this text, and a little broader text 00:17:58.369 --> 00:18:01.369 than I've read, is the means by which people 00:18:01.369 --> 00:18:04.309 became followers of Jesus. First of all, they 00:18:04.309 --> 00:18:07.289 became followers of Jesus through public proclamation 00:18:07.289 --> 00:18:12.369 of a preacher. Here I'm thinking of John the 00:18:12.369 --> 00:18:15.329 Baptist, who pointed at Jesus, behold the Lamb 00:18:15.329 --> 00:18:20.650 of God. And as a result of that, his followers 00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:25.009 began to follow Jesus in time. The first two 00:18:25.009 --> 00:18:30.130 were Andrew and John. When I think of the public 00:18:30.130 --> 00:18:32.390 proclamation of a preacher and people coming 00:18:32.390 --> 00:18:35.849 to Christ, I think of people who are like Billy 00:18:35.849 --> 00:18:39.789 Graham, in particular, who are gifted as evangelists 00:18:39.789 --> 00:18:45.009 in that public proclamation way. They're able 00:18:45.009 --> 00:18:49.150 to stand before audiences and to preach the Gospel 00:18:49.150 --> 00:18:53.630 with such simplicity and such power by the Holy 00:18:53.630 --> 00:18:56.670 Spirit that God uses that gift of evangelism 00:18:57.130 --> 00:19:02.630 to reveal Jesus Christ to them. And they responded 00:19:02.630 --> 00:19:08.630 to that. You and I have a rare opportunity next 00:19:08.630 --> 00:19:12.490 month to invite our friends to go and to hear 00:19:12.490 --> 00:19:16.970 Dr. Billy Graham. Now this will be probably the 00:19:16.970 --> 00:19:19.349 second to the last of his crusades. His last 00:19:19.349 --> 00:19:22.970 one will be in Charlotte this fall. It's a historic 00:19:22.970 --> 00:19:26.170 occasion. Because after preaching Christ now 00:19:26.170 --> 00:19:30.029 for some 40 years, his voice in a crusade setting 00:19:30.029 --> 00:19:36.470 will no longer ring across America. But it's 00:19:36.470 --> 00:19:39.250 a unique opportunity also, simply because he 00:19:39.250 --> 00:19:44.730 is a messenger from God. And he is one who, like 00:19:44.730 --> 00:19:47.230 John the Baptist and many, many others down through 00:19:47.230 --> 00:19:49.910 the history of the Church, have publicly proclaimed 00:19:49.910 --> 00:19:53.500 Christ. And God uses that to bring people to 00:19:53.500 --> 00:19:56.420 Himself, even as we have heard this morning in 00:19:56.420 --> 00:20:04.240 testimonies. Andrew and John began to follow 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:08.339 the Lord as a result of John the Baptist's ministry 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:15.099 of public proclamation. Secondly, we see a personal 00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:18.440 call of Christ. We didn't read all the way to 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:23.079 verse 43, but you notice in verse 43. It says 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:26.559 the next day, Jesus purposed to go forth into 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:31.940 Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said 00:20:31.940 --> 00:20:36.039 to him, follow me. And so here we have the personal 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:39.519 call of Christ. There doesn't seem to be any 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:44.559 human intermediary. It's just the Lord Jesus 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:47.619 coming to this man and calling him to follow 00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:51.250 himself. And I think here of those people who 00:20:51.250 --> 00:20:56.089 come to Christ through the impersonal means that 00:20:56.089 --> 00:21:00.849 are available today of television and radio and 00:21:00.849 --> 00:21:05.470 gospel tracts and videos. Where there isn't another 00:21:05.470 --> 00:21:08.490 person necessarily, obviously people have prepared 00:21:08.490 --> 00:21:11.789 these tools and so on, but through the proclamation 00:21:11.789 --> 00:21:14.450 of the message in an impersonal means, Jesus 00:21:14.450 --> 00:21:17.410 Christ is directly speaks to the heart and the 00:21:17.410 --> 00:21:25.039 person begins to follow Christ. But then we have 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:28.099 a third means by which people become followers 00:21:28.099 --> 00:21:31.680 of Jesus, and that's in our text, where we have 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:37.500 Andrew going to Peter, his brother. Somebody 00:21:37.500 --> 00:21:40.960 said this is the best service that Andrew rendered 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:49.099 to the Church. Andrew was a wonderful man, and 00:21:49.099 --> 00:21:52.440 when we see him in the Scriptures, he's often 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:55.960 some sort of intermediary that's bringing people 00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:59.180 to Jesus. Being a little boy with loaves and 00:21:59.180 --> 00:22:01.240 fishes, or if it'd be the Greeks who came to 00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:04.380 see Jesus. Andrew is people who's always just 00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:07.700 ushering people into the presence of Jesus. He's 00:22:07.700 --> 00:22:11.900 a wonderful man. But his brother, probably his 00:22:11.900 --> 00:22:16.819 older brother, far outshines him in church history. 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:20.079 For this, of course, is Peter who would stand 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:22.720 on the day of Pentecost on behalf of The Lord 00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:25.700 and the Church that was being born and preached 00:22:25.700 --> 00:22:30.700 the Gospel in 3000 would be saved. And he was 00:22:30.700 --> 00:22:33.660 the one who was used of God to go to Cornelius, 00:22:34.180 --> 00:22:36.619 and there in Cornelius' household opened the 00:22:36.619 --> 00:22:41.500 door to the Gentiles of the world to be saved 00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:46.619 without having become Jews in the process. The 00:22:46.619 --> 00:22:50.170 Gospel was for Gentiles as well as Jews. that 00:22:50.170 --> 00:22:55.049 Peter was a great, great servant of Christ. Here 00:22:55.049 --> 00:22:58.250 we have Andrew doing his part in that. The best 00:22:58.250 --> 00:23:01.230 service he rendered to the church was to bring 00:23:01.230 --> 00:23:04.750 his brother to Christ. Andrew didn't know that, 00:23:04.750 --> 00:23:10.250 of course. Andrew knew his brother, and apparently 00:23:10.250 --> 00:23:14.990 Peter was not a strong man. We think of him being 00:23:14.990 --> 00:23:19.039 impetuous, and he was. But he was not a strong 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:25.099 man. He was like water in some respects. But 00:23:25.099 --> 00:23:27.619 Jesus said, you know, you're going to be a rock. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:31.960 Isn't that amazing? Jesus was able to look into 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:35.759 Peter and see him for what he could become, not 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.480 for what he was at that moment. He said, you're 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:43.359 going to be a rock, Peter. Andrew didn't understand 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.339 what that meant, nor did Peter, undoubtedly at 00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:50.329 that point. But just think of what service Andrew 00:23:50.329 --> 00:23:53.470 Render, what an effect his life had because he 00:23:53.470 --> 00:23:57.009 went to his brother Peter. And you and I witnessed 00:23:57.009 --> 00:23:59.029 the people and we invite people to go to the 00:23:59.029 --> 00:24:01.690 crusade and we give tracks out and we have no 00:24:01.690 --> 00:24:05.410 idea what this person is going to become or what 00:24:05.410 --> 00:24:10.269 God has in mind for that one. Charles Kimball 00:24:10.269 --> 00:24:14.339 had no idea that that little boy and not a little 00:24:14.339 --> 00:24:17.279 boy, but a teenager in his Sunday school class 00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:23.640 in that church would ever become the great evangelist 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:29.480 Dwight L. Moody. He just decided that this young 00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:31.819 lad needed the Lord pretty badly, and so he went 00:24:31.819 --> 00:24:34.200 down to the bookstore, and as history tells it, 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:38.539 he went into the bookstore and he got scared, 00:24:38.619 --> 00:24:40.660 and so he went back out into the street, and 00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:43.299 then he decided he'd go back in. And he went 00:24:43.299 --> 00:24:45.519 back in, and he was finally able to corner Dwight 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:47.579 Moody, and he witnessed to him, and as a result 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:50.500 of that, Moody came to faith in Christ as just 00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:53.380 a teenager. That's all he was, just a teenager. 00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:58.339 And yet, as a result of Kimball's simple witness 00:24:58.339 --> 00:25:01.599 as a Sunday school teacher to a boy in his class, 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:06.039 indirectly he shook England and Ireland and Scotland 00:25:06.039 --> 00:25:10.359 and America with the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:25:14.690 --> 00:25:17.289 And after looking at this text, and some of the 00:25:17.289 --> 00:25:19.930 observations that arise out of it, I want to 00:25:19.930 --> 00:25:22.369 return to this idea of the Andrew Principle. 00:25:23.609 --> 00:25:25.789 And here's what I believe the Andrew Principle 00:25:25.789 --> 00:25:31.910 is. Most often, people become followers of Jesus 00:25:31.910 --> 00:25:36.990 when they are brought to him by a person they 00:25:36.990 --> 00:25:43.029 know. Now that's nothing real profound, is it? 00:25:43.849 --> 00:25:49.369 but it's very important. Most often, people come 00:25:49.369 --> 00:25:53.650 to Christ, become followers of his, when they 00:25:53.650 --> 00:25:58.930 are brought by a person that they know. We don't 00:25:58.930 --> 00:26:00.769 have time to go on and read about how Philip 00:26:00.769 --> 00:26:05.170 went and found the Samuel, and said, we found 00:26:05.170 --> 00:26:07.930 the Messiah, and the Samuel became a believer. 00:26:12.900 --> 00:26:16.140 When the invitation is given in June at the crusade, 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:21.839 it will be Billy Grant who's done the preaching. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:27.039 But it will be you and me who've acted as Andrew. 00:26:29.079 --> 00:26:32.480 And we have said to people that we know, whether 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:38.000 it be a brother, as in the case with Andrew and 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:44.160 Peter, or whether it be a friend, as in the case 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:49.039 with Phillips and Nathaniel. If there are people 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:51.559 who come forward in that crusade, most of them 00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:55.240 will come forward because they've had a relationship 00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:58.500 with you and me, and on the basis of that, they 00:26:58.500 --> 00:27:02.579 said, sure, I'll go. I'll be a part of it. I'll 00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:08.119 go and see what he has to say. The Andrew principle 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:13.269 is that most people become followers of Jesus 00:27:13.269 --> 00:27:16.750 when they are brought to Him by a person that 00:27:16.750 --> 00:27:21.609 they know. And my challenge to you this morning 00:27:21.609 --> 00:27:27.069 is this. Will you apply the Andrew Principle 00:27:27.069 --> 00:27:32.789 to your life, especially in these coming weeks? 00:27:33.329 --> 00:27:37.170 I know that some of you have been praying for 00:27:37.170 --> 00:27:39.920 friends. Some of you sold out a card that we 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:43.740 called Operation Andrew, in which you have, over 00:27:43.740 --> 00:27:46.619 the last weeks, been praying for specific individuals 00:27:46.619 --> 00:27:49.519 asking God to prepare their hearts and to give 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:54.980 you the opportunity to invite them to come. Even 00:27:54.980 --> 00:27:58.259 if you haven't been doing that, it's not too 00:27:58.259 --> 00:28:01.539 late to say, Lord, I want to follow the Andrew 00:28:01.539 --> 00:28:06.519 Principle. And as Andrew first sought out his 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:10.490 brother, and brought him to Jesus. So who is 00:28:10.490 --> 00:28:14.269 it that God would have you to seek out to bring 00:28:14.269 --> 00:28:19.890 to Jesus? You say, well, that's a scary thing 00:28:19.890 --> 00:28:24.349 to do. Well, not really. It's only scary because 00:28:24.349 --> 00:28:28.990 we're afraid that we'll be rejected. That's not 00:28:28.990 --> 00:28:30.970 much of a reason, is it, for not obeying the 00:28:30.970 --> 00:28:37.279 Lord. I think it was D .T. Niles who first said 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:40.700 evangelism is just one beggar telling another 00:28:40.700 --> 00:28:47.480 beggar where to find bread. So when you are inviting 00:28:47.480 --> 00:28:49.799 someone to go to the crusade or you're witnessing 00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:52.700 to them yourself, all you're doing is helping 00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:57.259 them understand how to find what you found in 00:28:57.259 --> 00:29:00.519 Christ. There's not a more loving thing that 00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.710 you can do than that. there's not a more important 00:29:03.710 --> 00:29:08.930 thing that you can do than that. And remember 00:29:08.930 --> 00:29:12.049 that as you witness and as you invite and as 00:29:12.049 --> 00:29:15.710 you counsel at the crusade, that person you're 00:29:15.710 --> 00:29:22.589 talking to may not look like much. That person 00:29:22.589 --> 00:29:26.990 may not have much value in the world's terms. 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:33.519 that Jesus knows what the potential of that life 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:39.859 is. And every single person is important in His 00:29:39.859 --> 00:29:43.299 eyes, and every single one has a meaning, has 00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:49.859 a purpose. And so remember that as you're dealing 00:29:49.859 --> 00:29:52.299 with this person, you're dealing with someone 00:29:52.299 --> 00:29:55.839 who's filled with potential that Jesus knows 00:29:55.839 --> 00:29:59.599 about, and you're simply bringing them to Him. 00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:05.859 that they then might open their hearts and receive 00:30:05.859 --> 00:30:10.960 Him, and He can save them from sin, and He then 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:14.039 can fill their lives with meaning and direction 00:30:14.039 --> 00:30:21.519 and purpose. We live in a world that has lost 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:25.819 this sense of meaning and purpose for a lot of 00:30:25.819 --> 00:30:30.019 reasons. We live in a world that is filled with 00:30:30.019 --> 00:30:33.140 sin and there's very little guilt that seems 00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:36.819 about that, very little sense of lostness, very 00:30:36.819 --> 00:30:41.960 little fear of God. But if you and I will share 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:44.960 the Gospel, if you and I will invite others to 00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:49.019 go with us, God can use that to begin cooking 00:30:49.019 --> 00:30:53.380 the heart with conviction, probing within to 00:30:53.380 --> 00:30:57.799 show the emptiness, drawing them out. to seek 00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:04.119 after the Lord. But most often that will happen 00:31:04.119 --> 00:31:07.519 to people that you and I have a relationship 00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:11.559 with. There will be a few Williams who will be 00:31:11.559 --> 00:31:14.500 caught in the traffic and won't like it and will 00:31:14.500 --> 00:31:18.160 end up in there. And without human intermediary, 00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:22.119 God will speak to them. But most of them will 00:31:22.119 --> 00:31:25.539 come and be there and respond because we've cared 00:31:25.539 --> 00:31:31.329 enough. to obey the Andrew Principle. I'd like 00:31:31.329 --> 00:31:36.130 you to bow with me in prayer. And I want to ask 00:31:36.130 --> 00:31:42.589 you to pray in your own heart. And say, Lord 00:31:42.589 --> 00:31:49.970 Jesus, I want to be like Andrew. And based upon 00:31:49.970 --> 00:31:54.289 the Andrew Principle, Lord lay some soul upon 00:31:54.289 --> 00:32:04.269 my heart. and love that soul for me. And Lord, 00:32:04.289 --> 00:32:08.869 may I ever do my part to win that soul for thee. 00:32:14.009 --> 00:32:16.529 Is there someone or some several who come to 00:32:16.529 --> 00:32:29.440 your mind right now? I hope so. Lord Jesus, I 00:32:29.440 --> 00:32:34.160 pray that we, after spending time with you as 00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:40.559 did Andrew and John, will immediately go out 00:32:40.559 --> 00:32:45.980 obeying this principle and seek to bring others 00:32:45.980 --> 00:32:49.299 to you, that you may do in their lives what you 00:32:49.299 --> 00:32:56.160 have done in our lives. Stir us with compassion 00:32:56.160 --> 00:33:06.279 to care and courage to take action. I'd like 00:33:06.279 --> 00:33:09.539 you to stand with me, please, with our heads 00:33:09.539 --> 00:33:14.319 bowed, and let's sing together a chorus, the 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:17.240 one I just quoted as Lord lay some soul upon 00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:29.289 my heart. Lord, may some soul upon my heart And 00:33:29.289 --> 00:33:44.309 love that soul to me, And may I ever do my part 00:33:44.309 --> 00:33:52.319 To win that soul for thee. Let's just change 00:33:52.319 --> 00:33:54.599 the words a little bit as we sing it once again. 00:33:54.859 --> 00:33:59.880 Lord lay some friend upon my heart. Let's sing 00:33:59.880 --> 00:34:36.190 it that way. Lord, may that truly be the prayer 00:34:36.190 --> 00:34:41.590 of our hearts. God, I pray that what you're going 00:34:41.590 --> 00:34:45.190 to do in the Twin Cities in the coming weeks 00:34:45.190 --> 00:34:48.210 will be something that we'll all be ready to 00:34:48.210 --> 00:34:52.829 participate in. May none of us, Lord, look back 00:34:52.829 --> 00:34:55.409 upon it later and say, oh, if only I had done 00:34:55.409 --> 00:34:58.449 this or that, if only I had invited, if only 00:34:58.449 --> 00:35:03.969 I had. God, I pray that we will be ready spiritually 00:35:03.969 --> 00:35:09.730 and in every way to do our part in obeying the 00:35:09.730 --> 00:35:15.110 Andrew Principle in Jesus' name. Amen. We're 00:35:15.110 --> 00:35:15.369 dismissed.