Be the First!
John 1:35-41 NKJV
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.Then Jesus turned, and 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?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).
John 1:35-41 NKJV
Today what do you seek? What are you looking for?
Sometimes we are not even sure.
Andrew and the other Disciple of John the Baptist see The Lamb of God.
They follow Him.
Jesus turns and asks the question,
“What do you seek”.
Jesus asked these two disciples a very important and relevant question.
It is the same question He continues to ask all of humanity today.
What do you seek?
Andrew didn’t need to be rescued from something. It doesn’t sound like he was in dire need of saving.
He had heard about the Messiah. He had seen the Messiah, and now Andrew wants to just know the Messiah!
Andrew was willing to risk it all to follow.
What risk are you taking to Follow Jesus?
Andrew had the ability to put aside his pride, his fear and ask Jesus,
“Where are You staying?”
He spent a day with Jesus, talking, listening, absorbing what was told to him, following.
Just to finally sit at the feet of the King of Glory.
The excitement to start to actually learn who Jesus is. What He did, what He does.
The soul thirsts for more and more. And we will never be satisfied once we sit at His feet.
Andrew leaves with excitement, he must tell his brother Simon!
Andrew was known to be the first to be called by Jesus Christ.
Imagine that, being the very first.
Andrew is called the protoclete.
Protoclete means the first called.
He was called the Protoclete because it would be Andrew that would be the prototype.
He set the example for all of the others to follow. Bringing the lost and the bound to the freedom found in the Messiah.
He told His brother, ” We have found him.”
From there everything changes.
Andrew did exactly what he was supposed to do,
Follow Jesus
Tell people about Jesus
As Andrew followed Jesus he made a decision that would change his whole life. Not just his life but countless others.
He decided on a new life. One that once followed John the Baptist to now follow the actual One that He had heard about for some time.
But Andrew would not be part of Jesus’ inner circle. That would be Peter, James and John.
Even though Andrew was not one of Jesus’ “inner circle ” did that make him less valuable to the Kingdom of God?
Did it mean that the Lord loved him less?
Did it mean that what Andrew was doing was less important?
Absolutely NOT!
Just because you are not part of the inner circle doesn’t mean that you are not as important to the Kingdom of God.
The Lord has given us all different roles in the Kingdom.
Different gifts, different duties.
Andrew didn’t perform any miracles in the name of Jesus.
The sick weren’t healed, the dead didn’t rise. Nothing is told about him being used by the power of God in this way.
But His brother Peter did.
Following Jesus isn’t about these things.
Can the Lord use you in such a way? Of course He can.
Sometimes we allow the accomplishments of others to shadow our own. We see how so many seem to be Holier and greater than us. They have a better understanding of Scripture. They pray more. They worship harder. Whatever the case may be.
None of that changes the way Jesus looks at you.
All Jesus wants is your heart and thoughts. He wants us to be obedient to His Word. He wants us to sit at His feet and listen and learn. Then He expects us to go out and preach what you have learned and believed.
Andrew’s ministry was just as important if not MORE than his brother Peter’s.
Yes, Peter did Mighty things for the Kingdom of God, but if Andrew would have never told Peter about the Messiah would there even be an Apostle Peter!
Would the message of Salvation by the Resurrected Jesus of Nazareth gone to the corners of the world!
Because of Andrew’s willingness just to speak to his brother about who he had found changed everything.
Never underestimate what the Lord is doing in your life. Even in what we see as the small things can be Greater in the Kingdom of Heaven than we can ever imagine. Sometimes it is in those shadows that the Lord is doing His best work.
Think about this, there will definitely be more people in heaven like Andrew than Peter!
Not all will perform miracles. Not all will be preachers, Evangelists, heal the sick, Prophecy, speak in tongues.
But the ones that stay under submission in obedience to the Lord will be just as mighty!
Those that are living their lives as God has intended them to live, going and just speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven. Telling about the Salvation only found in this same Christ!
You will be Blessed!
Andrew was curious enough and brave enough to call on Him.
He wasn’t in the inner circle. He didn’t perform miracles that we know of.
But you know what Andrew did do?
Unapologetically brought people to Jesus!
The boy with a basket of loaves and fish. It was Andrew that brought him to Jesus.
Those loaves and fish would feed the multitude!
Then there were the Greek men that came to Philip and they wanted to meet Jesus.
Phillip didn’t take them. Phillip took them to Andrew. Andrew was the one to lead them to Christ!
Then when Jesus Ascended back into Heaven and left an assignment, The Great Commission, Andrew went!
Church history tells us Andrew took the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Eastern Europe.
People will go through their lives wanting to be the first at something.
We might be told of the first accomplishments of someone that had gone before us.
Let me ask.
Who was the first person to go to college!
Who was the first in your family to accomplish something BIG!
That does not matter.
What does?
Who was the first in you family to follow Jesus Christ?
Be the one that the generations to come after you say,
Yes, it was my grandma, it was my grandpa, it was my mom or dad, my brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin.
They were the first ones to follow Jesus Christ!
Be that one!
Be the first in your family, be the Protoclete! Be the one that just wants to sit at His feet and gaze up into the eyes of Mercy, Love and Grace.
Be the one that goes tells all around you
” I have found the Messiah!”
Show them that it is worth the risk.
You may never perform miracles in the Name of Jesus, but one thing’s for sure, the Greater things of the Kingdom of God may be fulfilled because you were the first to speak the name of Jesus!
Be the Protoclete!
Pastor Ed