TEXT: John 1:35-42
INTRODUCTION: An Ordinary Man That Was Extraordinary. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but most of us would be classified as ordinary people. By that I mean, most of us have never been or never will be listed in the Bluebook of society or Who’s Who. Most of us are not even listed in Who’s Not. There are few of us, if any, Phi Beta Kappa’s, Val Dictorian’s, All-American’s, or Miss America’s. I doubt there are any Nobel Peace Prize winners among us. Most of us were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Most are not from the aristocracy. Most of us would be like the fellow who said, ONE OLE BOY SAID “I wasn’t born in a log cabin like some of the great men of our country, but I want you to know that just as soon as my family could afford one, we bought it and moved in!”
Most of us are just plain, old, down-right, everyday ordinary people. But then, most everybody else is ordinary. Now if that is discouraging listen to what ILL. One Writer Said “Most of Christ’s followers must remain unknown to fame. They must live a simple life, a thing of routine. Few take notice of them. Thus they live day by day, not idly or unprofitably, indeed, but in a small place-until the end come.
Before us is one such man.
Andrew never wrote a book like his fellowworkers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We never read of him preaching a sermon like his brother Peter.
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He was never in the inner circle like Peter, James, and John. He is only mentioned 8 times in all the Bible. He was just an ordinary man, but an ordinary man who did extraordinary things. Andrew was a lot like most of us. But I want to confess to you, that if I can be like Andrew, then I am perfectly content to be ordinary. Let’s notice this ordinary man and the extraordinary things he did.
1. THE GLORIOUS DISCOVERY OF HIS LIFE!
Notice John 1:40-41, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” Andrew said, “We have found the Messiah.” He had made a glorious discovery in his life. It was a life changing discovery.
A. We See Andrew With A Hungry Heart.
Notice John 1:35-38, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?” Jesus had made Himself known, and John had introduced Him as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Andrew and another followed Jesus. Jesus asked them the question, “What seek ye?” The word “seek” speaks of a quest for something that is hidden or lost. There was something missing in Andrews heart. There was an emptiness there, a hunger that had not been satisfied.
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The fact that Jesus asked him what he was seeking indicates that Andrew was searching and on a quest to find that which was missing in his life.
Doctors tell us that there are four things people are basically searching for in life:
1.They are trying to discover how to be useful,
2.They are trying to discover how to get rid of guilt,
3.They are trying to discover how to love,
4.They are searching for a feeling of security.
The bottom line to these four things is, that there is something missing in life and the great search of life is to find the answer to this vacuum.
ILL.A few years ago, on Valentine’s day, a couple was driving in Louisiana when they saw Something white, shimmering in the trees, upon Their investigation it led them to a dead teenager hanging from a limb, a white bedsheet knotted tightly around his neck A farewell note was near the trunk of the tree. It was addressed simply, “Mom and Dad.” The note read: “I never did develop into a real person and I cannot tolerate the false and empty existence I have created. . . . What frustrated me most in the last year was that I had built no ties to family or friends. There was nothing of lasting worth and value. I led a detached existence… I am a bomb of frustration and should never marry or have children. It is safest to defuse the bomb harmlessly now . . . simply cremate me as John Doe.” Authorities circulated the youth’s description and fingerprints to police across the country. He was later buried, unidentified and unclaimed.
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I read that story and thought of the emptiness and lack of fulfillment that echoed from his actions and note. What was the problem HE FOUND NOTHING TO FULLFILL THE HUNGER IN HIS HEART!
A. We See Andrew With A Hungry Heart.
B. We See Andrew With A Happy Heart.
Andrew responded to Jesus’ question in verse 38 by saying, “Rabbi (Master) where dwellest Thou?” It was like Andrew was saying, “Jesus, I would like to sit down and talk to you about it.” Jesus said in verse 39, “Come and see.” It is literally, “I’m missing something.” Jesus was saying, “Come, and I’ll tell you what it is.”
Notice John 1:39, “He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.” Andrew and another disciple (probably John) followed and spent the day with Jesus. There is an interesting note made by John: “for it was about the tenth hour” (4:00 p.m.). It was like John was saying, “About 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon, something happened!”
Notice John 1:41, “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” Notice the word “found.” The word means to make a marvelous discovery. I can see Andrew running down to the boat dock shouting, Peter, Peter, I have found it. I have got it.” What had he found? He had found the Messiah and in finding the Messiah he found what he had been searching for in life. The greatest day and hour of our life was when we met Jesus! YOU MEET JESUS AND YOUR SEARCH IS OVER!
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NOT ONLY THE
1. THE GLORIOUS DISCOVERY OF HIS LIFE!
2. THE GRACIOUS DISPOSITION OF HIS LIFE!
Notice John 1:40, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” Also John 6:8, “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him.” Did you notice how Andrew is addressed. In both John 1:40 & 6:8, he is called, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” With only a few exceptions, he is called, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” He always lived in the shadow of his brother Peter. “Hey, your Peter’s brother.”
Poor old Andrew. He could never get out from under his brothers shadow. He was always Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. But, that was never a problem to Andrew. In fact, it demonstrates a gracious disposition and illustrates A. He Understood His Abilities.
Andrew was well aware that he could not preach like his brother Peter. He knew that he was not a leader like Peter. He knew that he could not get up in front of large crowds like Peter and hold them spell-bound. He knew that he was not a writer like the others. Andrew had come to understand what his gifts and abilities were. He knew what he could do and what he could not do.
We read in Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Paul is telling us that God has given each believer different gifts and abilities.
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Not everyone can preach and not everyone is to preach. Not everyone can sing and not everyone is to sing. Not everyone can get up in front of a class and teach, and not everyone is to get up in front of a class and teach. Happy is the person who accepts what they can do and does not worry about what they can’t do.
There have been times when I listened to some preacher and I felt so inferior. I thought, “Man, if I could use words the way he does,” or “I wish I had a memory like he does,” or “I wish I could get up like he does and it just flow out.” But I have realized that I am what God made me and I have all that God wanted me to have.
A. He Understood His Abilities.
B. He Used His Abilities.
Andrew not only understood his abilities, but he used his abilities. He didn’t have some of the gifts his brother Peter had, but he gave to God what he had and used what abilities he had for the glory of God.
ILL. I think about a Sunday School teacher that asked her class to bring an object to illustrate a spiritual truth.
One little boy brought a loaf of bread. The teacher said, “I know what that represents. Jesus is the Bread of Life.” Another brought a rose (Rose of Sharon).
Another brought a crown (King of Kings). Then there was the little fellow that brought a Bantam hen egg. The teacher said, “Johnny, I can’t figure this one out. What does this represent?” The little boy said, “She hath done what she could.”
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There are some here that have never got involved because you can’t sing like so and so, teach like so and so, pray like so and so. God is not interested if you can sing. . teach. . .pray like so and so. He is interested in you doing what you can do.
1. THE GLORIOUS DISCOVERY OF HIS LIFE!
2. THE GRACIOUS DISPOSITION OF HIS LIFE!
3. THE GREAT DEDICATION OF HIS LIFE!
There were a lot of things that Andrew couldn’t do, but there was one thing he could do and he dedicated his life to doing the one thing he could do. Notice Mark 1:16-17, “Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” That day Andrew found what he could do. He could be a fisher of men. The rest of his life was dedicated to winning men to Christ. One of the interesting features of Andrews life is that he was always bringing someone to Jesus. Everytime you turn around, he is bringing somebody to Jesus.
A. We See Him Bringing A Loved One To Jesus.
Notice again John 1:4142, “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”
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The first thing he did after getting saved was to bring his brother Peter to Jesus. He led a loved one to Christ.
A. We See Him Bringing A Loved One To Jesus.
B. We See Him Bringing A Little One To Jesus.
Notice John 6:8-9, “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” We not only see him bringing a brother to Jesus, we also see him bringing a boy to Jesus. He brought a loved to Christ and a little one to Christ.
ILL. One day an old preacher in England walked into his churchyard, and sitting on a tombstone began to weep. He had just realized he was getting too old to pastor the church and should resign and let a younger man take his place. As he sat there broken hearted and discouraged he saw a boy coming down the street. He called to the boy and asked him to come and sit down beside him. The young fellow sit down beside him on the tombstone. The old preacher told the young fellow about Christ and the wonderful story of the gospel and led the little fellow to Christ. and it was not long after that he was called to his eternal reward. No doubt on the other side, he looked down and watched that little boy grow to become a teacher, shoe cobbler, and then a preacher. No doubt he watched as he fashioned a leather globe and before his students, as he pointed out distant lands, would break down and weep. No doubt he from the balconies of heaven watched that little boy he led to Jesus sitting on tombstone, one day leave as a missionary to India. That little boy he led to Jesus was William Carey. Take time for these youngins……..
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A. We See Him Bringing A Loved One To Jesus.
B. We See Him Bringing A Little One To Jesus.
C. We See Him Bringing Learned Ones To Jesus.
Notice John 12:20-22, “And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.” The Greeks were the philosophers and scholars of his day. They were seeking Jesus, and it was Andrew that was involved in bringing them to Jesus.
There is a world out there that is saying, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” There are Andrews all over this building. You can’t preach, teach, or sing, but you can lead people to Jesus.
There is nothing greater one can do, or be, than to be an ordinary Andrew and do the extraordinary; winning souls to Christ.
JUST DO WHAT YOU CAN DO AND LEAVE THE REST TO THE LORD OF GLORY
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