by Greg Laurie

So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.
—1 Kings 19:19

The ministry of the great prophet Elijah was coming to an end. God had directed him to pass his mantle on, which meant the calling that God placed on Elijah's life was about to be placed on Elijah's successor. It would be symbolized by Elijah's pulling off his mantle and giving it to someone else in a symbolic way.

Interestingly, the man to whom Elijah passed his calling had a similar name: Elisha. Elisha didn't have to take up the calling to be the prophet to the nation of Israel. He had a choice in the matter. He could have said, "That's okay. I'm out. This is too much for me." But he didn't. He accepted it.

Elijah was doing what every mature Christian should do. Whether you're a preacher, a missionary or a believer just living your life in this very harsh world, you are called to help others. After you have known the Lord for a while, you need to mentor other people. Older women should mentor younger women. Older men should mentor younger men.

Quite frankly, this a part of the Great Commission. The Great Commission is not merely to preach the gospel. The Great Commission is to go and "make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that [He has] commanded you" (Matthew 28:19–20).

The goal is to tell people about Jesus, try to lead them to the Lord, and then prayerfully take them under your wing and help them get on their feet spiritually.

We all have a part to play. I think somewhere along the line, evangelism has been isolated from discipleship. But you need younger Christians - and younger Christians need you.

by Alan Carr

Gospel: John 1:35-42

Introduction:

One of the most amazing truths I have ever encountered in the Bible is the truth that God invites people to come to Him. Of course, He has to make the first move. Man is a sinner ad his sinful condition has left him spiritually dead, Eph. 2:1. Man cannot make an independent move toward God. God takes the initiative and He reaches out in love, grace and mercy to call lost sinners to Himself.

In this passage, Jesus invites two religious men to consider what has been said about Him. This passage highlights the condition of man and the compassion of the Savior. Jesus says six words in these verses. He says "What seek ye" in verse 38. And, He says "Come and see" in verse 39. These two statements have my interest today. Jesus is inviting all those who do not know Him to come to Him and to examine Him. He wants lost men to know Who He is and what He can do for them.

Let's take a little time today to look into these verses. In them we find another of the great invitations of the Bible. I want to share with you some of the blessings contained in these verses as we study together The Invitation To Consider.

I. v. 35-37 CONSIDER THE CLAIMS

(Ill. This simple statement by John the Baptist is pregnant with meaning. In these words, John sets forth two important truths regarding the Lord Jesus Christ.)

A. He Is The Savior Of Sinners – The definite article "the" identifies Jesus Christ as "the one and only" Lamb of God. Man has a problem; Jesus is the only solution to that problem.

Man's problem is that he is a sinner, Rom. 3:10-13; Gal. 3:22. Man's problem is complicated by the fact that his sin is leading him to Hell, Rom. 6:23, Psa. 9:17; Rev. 21:8.

Jesus Christ is the only solution to man's sin problem, Acts 4:12; John 14:6; John 10:9; 1 John 5:12. That sounds narrow minded in this day and age, but it is the truth!

B. He Is The Sacrifice For Sin – When John called Jesus "the Lamb of God" he was saying a mouth full. This name pictures Jesus as a sacrificial animal. It may have been lamb that died to cover the naked bodies of Adam and Eve in Eden, Gen 3:21. It was a lamb that was offered as the first sacrifice in the Bible, Gen. 4:4. It was a lamb that redeemed the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt, Ex. 12. It was a lamb that had been promised to Isaac as Abraham led him up to Mount Mariah, Gen. 22:8. Countless lambs had been slain in Israel as sin offerings down through the centuries, Lev. 4.

The prophet Isaiah pictured the coming Messiah as a slain lamb, Isa. 53:4-6. When Jesus came into this world, He came for the sole purpose of going to the cross to die for sin, Mark 10:45; John 18:37. Only His death can satisfy God, 1 John 2:2; 4:10. Only His blood can cleanse the sinful soul, 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 1:5. Jesus is God's final answer to the question Isaac posed to Abraham as they climbed that mountain all those long years ago, "Where is the lamb?" Jesus is the Lamb, He is the only Lamb God will accept.

(Note: Consider the claims the Bible makes regarding Jesus. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? In the words of that old hymn, "Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you washed in the blood, In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?")

II. v. 37-39a CONSIDER THE CALL

A. v. 37 The Interest Of The Disciples – Ill. The Context of John 1:19-34. These two disciples heard John give a public declaration of the identity of Jesus in verses 19-34. Now, they are given some private direction concerning Jesus, v. 35. John is saying to them, "Go follow Him, He is the One." They heed the call and they begin to follow Jesus.

At this point, these two men are just two regular, religious men. Neither is saved by grace. Neither is a child of God. What they have heard about this Jesus has made them curious about Him. The Word of God has been used to prick their hearts and they become interested in Him.

That's how people come to know the Lord! The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to show the lost person their need of a Savior. He uses that Word to point them to Jesus, John 16:7-11. He uses the Word to create a hunger within them for something they do not have. He gives them the desire for more!

This is an essential component of salvation, John 6:44; 65. When the Spirit of God begins to create this hunger within a heart it is called conviction. The sinner becomes convicted about his sinful condition; his condemnation in Hell; his need of a Savior; and of his need to get to Jesus Christ! (Ill. Being "under conviction" is a horrible feeling, but the day God reveals your sin to you in one of the greatest days of your life!)

B. v. 38a The Investigation Of The Disciples – Jesus knows these men are behind Him and He turns to speak to them. He asks them a strange question, "What seek ye?" This question is the same as saying "What are you looking for?" Jesus does not ask this question for His Own benefit. He is omniscient and He knows why they are there. He asks it for their benefit.

These men are hungry for a relationship with God. This is clear from the fact that they have been following John the Baptist. He has been teaching them that Messiah is coming and they are longing for a relationship with that Messiah. When Jesus asks them "What seek ye?" He is asking them to examine their motives for wanting to follow Him.

If they were looking for a revolutionary leader who would through off the yoke of Rome and liberate the Jews, then they were following the wrong man. If they were looking for one who would carry on the traditions of Judaism and dead religion, then they were following the wrong man. If, however, they were looking for a new life; for eternal life; for salvation and hope for the future, then they were following the right Man. These two men had no idea how their lives were about to change!

(Note: What are you looking for today? What a re you looking for in your life?

If you are looking for someone who will make your life easier, Jesus isn't for you! If you are looking for someone who will solve all your problems, Jesus isn't for you! If you are looking for someone who will make you feel better about yourself, Jesus isn't for you either! If you are looking for a little religion on Sunday so that you can feel better about the way you live Monday through Saturday, then Jesus just isn't for you!

But, if you are looking for Someone Who will love you unconditionally, Jesus is for you! If you are looking for Someone Who can save your soul, give you eternal live and provide you a home in Heaven, then Jesus is for you! If you are looking for Someone Who can forgive your sins and change your life, then Jesus is just Who you are looking for!

What you get out of life depends on what you are looking for in life. So, what are you looking for? Chances are, you will find it!)

C. v. 38b-39 The Invitation To The Disciples – These men respond to Jesus' question with one of their own, "Rabbi, where dwellest Thou?" This is a telling question. First, they call Him "Rabbi". This word, as we are told, means "Master". It was a term of respect. It is clear that these men held Jesus in high regard. When they asked Him, "Where dwellest Thou", they are asking more than just "Where do you live?" These men had heard about Jesus and they wanted to know more. They needed to ask Him some questions and hear Him tell them Who He was and why He came. They are requesting an extended interview with Jesus.

His response is simple, yet it is profound. Jesus simply said, "Come and see". This simple phrase literally means "Come with me and you will see!" This is an invitation for them to examine Jesus for themselves. They have heard about Him from others; now they are invited to see for themselves.

(Note: That invitation still stands! Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior? Have you responded to His invitation for you to "come and see"? He is still calling those who do not know Him to come to Him for salvation, Rev. 22:17. If you will come when He is calling, you can and will be saved, John 6:37.

It is one thing to hear about Jesus Christ and what He can do. It is another thing altogether to experience Him for yourself and know what He can do in your life. I praise God for every testimony of salvation recorded in the Word of God. But, I am even more thankful for that day when Jesus invited me to "Come and see". I am glad Jesus saved Paul, John, Peter and the rest, but I rejoice that He saved me! I am glad that God gave you a testimony, but I am glad that he gave me one too! Now, when you share yours, it bears witness with mine and I can rejoice in what Jesus did in you, because He did it in me too! Hallelujah! This thing we have is better "felt that telt!")

III. v. 39b-42 CONSIDER THE CHANGES

(Ill. This day became the day of salvation for these two men. When they met Jesus for themselves, their lives changed forever. Two of those changes are highlighted in these verses.)

A. v. 39b They Wanted To Stay With Jesus – John tells us that it was "about the tenth hour" when these men followed Jesus to the place where He was staying. This could mean ten o'clock in the morning, if John is using Roman time. Or, it could mean four o'clock in the afternoon, if he is using Jewish time. From the wording of the verse, it seems to me that it was four o'clock in the afternoon. It was getting close to dark and these men were anxious to talk to Jesus. They spent the rest of that day, and probably that night, in His presence. They spent the rest of their lives in His service!

Andrew took the Gospel into Greece and was crucified there upside down, on an x-shaped cross. John was close to Jesus all the days Jesus lived. He was known as the disciple "whom Jesus loved". John laid his head on the breast of our Lord at the last supper, John 13:25. John was there then Jesus stood trial before the Jewish High Priest, John 18:15. John was the only disciple to go to Calvary, He was at the foot of the cross when Jesus died, John 19:26. He was the first disciple to the tomb the day Jesus rose from the dead, John 20:45. John lived well into his nineties and wrote down the Book of Revelation while he was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos for his testimony of Jesus Christ.

(Note: John never got over the day he met Jesus for himself. He never got over the day he was saved! He was an old man when he wrote the words we are reading today and he still remembered that it was "about the tenth hour". Jesus saved his soul and changed his life and he wanted to stay with Jesus!

That's how Jesus affects those He saves. Ill. Mark 5:1-20 – The Gaderene Demoniac was a man who endured terrible spiritual bondage. The demons that possessed his body controlled and ruined his life. He was a vicious, violent, dangerous man who lived among the dead in the graveyard. He was separated from his family and from society. Men had even tried to capture him, but he had escaped from their bonds and continued to live his life of terrible torment. He spent his days and nights crying out and cutting himself.

Then one day, Jesus showed up. He spoke to this man, delivered him from his demons and saved his soul. Jesus absolutely changed his life! Verse 15 tells us about the radical changes Jesus made in this man's life. We are told that he was found "sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind". When Jesus was forced to leave that place, this delivered man wanted to go with Jesus too, Mark 5:18.

That's just how it is! When you meet Jesus and He changes your life, you will want to stay with Him. There are some people who came to an altar, made a profession, joined a church and were baptized, but they are nowhere to be found. I doubt that even the FBI could find them! People who don't want to stay near Him probably don't know Him, 1 John 2:19.

Then there's the rest! There are some who were "sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained with sin, sinking to rise no more". But, they remember the moment when they met Jesus and they sing of the moment when, "the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I". They met Jesus Christ and their life changed forever. Now, you can't run them off! They love the Lord. They love His people, His house, His Word, His music; they love everything that has to do with Him!

You don't have to hunt for them! They met Jesus and their life changed! They want to stay close to Him all the time! Your desire for Jesus and for the things He loves says a lot about your relationship with Him!)

B. v. 40-42 They Wanted To Share Jesus – As soon as these men had met Jesus, and their own salvation was settled, they wanted to share Him with others. In fact, every time Andrew appears in the Gospel record, he is bringing someone to Jesus. He went first his brother Simon Peter and brings him to Jesus, v. 41-42. When Andrew brought Peter to Jesus, he was doing something great for the church! Peter became a great preacher of the Gospel and God used him to bring thousands into the church. In John 6, Andrew is the one who brought the lad who had the little loaves and fishes to Jesus. In John 12 it is Andrew who helps a group of curious Greeks make contact with Jesus. When Andrew met Jesus Christ a burden was created within his heart to share his Savior with everyone he met.

That's what Jesus will do for you! He is too good to keep to yourself. When you meet Him, you will want others to meet Him too. There will be a burning desire within your heart to share this great Lord with all you meet. This desire to share the Savior with others is a good indication of your relationship with Him!

Conclusion:

"Come and see" – Jesus is still inviting people to consider Him. We are living in a world where people are seeking answers. They are looking for direction, fulfillment and hope. If you are among that number and you are looking for more from life, you need to know that His invitation to "Come and see" still stands. · You have tried everything else and nothing has scratched the itch within your soul. Come to Jesus! · You've tried church and it didn't work. Come to Jesus! · You've tried sin, alcohol, drugs, sex and every worldly thing you can imagine, but nothing has worked. Come to Jesus! · You need help and you can't seem to find it anywhere. Come to Jesus! · Maybe you've tried Jesus in the past and He didn't work. The problem was not with Him, it was with you. This time, don't just "try" Him, surrender to Him totally and let Him save you and take control of your life. Come to Jesus!

If there are needs of any kind, whether you are saved or lost, if you need help, come to Jesus!

by Rev. Jeff Chapman, Faith Presbyterian Church

Gospel: John 1:35-42

35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, 'Look, here is the Lamb of God!'

37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, 'What are you looking for?'

They said to him, 'Rabbi' (which translated means Teacher), 'where are you staying?'

39 He said to them, 'Come and see.'

They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah' (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, 'You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas' (which is translated Peter).
(John 1:35-42, NRSV)

Imagine you are an aspiring violinist searching for a mentor and teacher. By a stroke of good fortune, you manage to secure as your mentor the person you consider to be the greatest violin player in the world. At once you begin to study under him and hone your skills, soaking up everything you can learn from this master.

One day after your lesson, however, he tells you that he wants to introduce you to another violinist who is, in his estimation, a far superior musician than he will ever be. In fact, he suggests to you that if you really want to experience and learn music as it is meant to be played on the violin, then this true master is the man under whom you should begin to study.

In a sense, this is what is happening here in this passage. John the Baptist is a great prophet. Jesus himself once called him the greatest prophet who ever lived.[1] Naturally, John has picked up a few disciples, men who are devoted to him as their spiritual leader. But now John has recognized that somebody else has come along who is far greater then he will ever be. In fact, when Jesus shows, John realizes that he is now in the presence of One whose sandals he is not even worthy to untie. He may be a prophet, but this man is the Lamb of God, the Son of the Most High, the very Savior of the world.

Somebody once said that there is no harder task than to take the second place when once the first place has been enjoyed.[2] And yet, this is exactly what John does. In the best interests of his disciples, he prepares them to leave his tutelage and devote themselves, instead, to Jesus. Which is so typical of John. This was, after all, the purpose of his life. From even before he was born, God had determined that John's life would be spent pointing people towards Jesus.

So it happened that one day John was standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walks by. John seizes the moment. He says to his friends, "Look, there goes the Lamb of God." In other words, "Now's your chance. What are you waiting for? Go after him! He's the one you really want to follow."

They do. Immediately, we're told, they begin to follow Jesus.

Now, picture the scene. These men don't really know Jesus. All they know is what John has told them about Jesus. And they don't know where Jesus is going. And they don't know if he even wants them to come with him. So they follow, but they follow at a distance.

One day many years ago Esther and I were in New York City. It was a glorious fall day and we were just wasting time wandering through Manhattan. All of a sudden a woman walks past who I recognized. I turned to Esther and whispered, "That's Sally Field. Right there walking with that man. That's Sally Field!" And it was. We had just crossed paths with an Oscar winning actress.

Now, I don't know why this is, but most of us just get stupid around celebrities. We just can't help ourselves. And so having nothing else better to do that afternoon, we decided to follow Sally Field. From a safe distance, of course, we followed her and her companion through the crowd, watching her to see where she would go, what she would do. For a brief time that day my wife and I became celebrity stalkers.

Imagine if a few minutes later, Sally Field suddenly turned around and faced us and said to us, "What do you want? I see you following me. What is it you want from me? What are you after here?"

I don't know what I would have said. "Ms. Field. So good to meet you. You were brilliant in Smokey and the Bandit. Where are you going? Where are you staying? Would it be possible for my wife and me to just walk with you for a while and get to know you. I've heard such great things about you."

And, of course, she would say, "Wonderful. Why don't you join us? We were just heading to this little café we enjoy and we'd love it if you would join us and we could get to know one another over lunch."

Of course, that didn't happen. Sally Field never turned around and looked at us. Because Esther and I both such accomplished stalkers, she had no idea we were even there. And even if she did, she probably wouldn't have cared about us any more than we cared about the thousands of other people we passed on the street that day.

Here's what's so noteworthy about what happens with Jesus that day. As these two men follow him at a distance, Jesus does turn around. And he confronts them. He says, "What are you looking for? What are you after? I see you following me, what are you hoping to find? What do you think I can do for you?"

Imagine what it would have been like to have Jesus confront you with that question. In fact, let's not rush past Jesus' question too quickly. Instead, let me turn this question towards you this morning.

Since you're all sitting here in church this morning, it's safe for me to assume that all of you are, to some extent, following after Jesus? Some of you are probably following Jesus closely, right behind him or even walking side by side with him. Others of you are, instead, following at a safe distance, not wanting, for your own reasons, to get too close. Perhaps you're heard some things about Jesus, but you're not entirely sure that it's all true. You're heard he can be trusted but you'd liketo see for ourselves. Either way, most of us here are following after Jesus.

So what if Jesus stopped in his tracks this morning, turned around to face you, and asked you point blank, "What are you looking for? I see that you are following me. I know that you've been checking me out. Well, what do you want? What are you after? What do you think I can do for you? What do you want me to give you? Where do you think I am leading you?"

What would you say? Really, how would you respond? Do you think Jesus has the answers? Are you hoping Jesus will fix your life? Are you looking for security? Belonging? Peace? Forgiveness? Relief? Are you just curious? What do you say to Jesus when he turns and asks you, "Why are you following me? What is it that you are looking for?"

What do the two men in the story say? Well, they respond to Jesus' question with a question of their own. Jesus asks them, "What are you looking for?" And they ask him, "Teacher, where are you staying?"

It's a question, but it also gives us some answers. For one, the fact that they call Jesus "teacher" tells us that they believe Jesus may have something to teach them. So, at the very least, they are looking for answers.

Furthermore, in asking Jesus where he is staying, I think they are hinting that they want to go where he is staying. In other words, they don't just want to follow him from a distance down the road, or even chat with him in passing on the road. They are hoping, really, for the chance to spend some quality time with Jesus. Having heard so much about him, they are now hoping to see for themselves. They want to see his character, to hear what he has to say. They want to talk through their questions, their problems, their troubles, their longings.[3] So when they ask where Jesus is staying, they're actually hoping for an invitation.

Jesus doesn't let them down. He says, simply, "Come and see. You want to know where I'm staying? Come along and see for yourself."

Just so you know, this is classic Jesus. Always with Jesus it's, "Come and see". Always with Jesus the invitation is extended, a gracious and wide open invitation. What's more, the invitation always comes with a promise. Seek and you will find, Jesus says. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Ask and you will receive.[4] Come to me if you are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.[5] If you are thirsty come to me and drink and I will make living streams flow from your soul.[6] Let the little children come to me and I will welcome them.[7] Come to the feast and you will see that I have prepared a place for you at the table.[8]

Always with Jesus it's, "Come and see."

Which actually means that the biggest barrier keeping people from Christ and from the abundant and eternal life he died to give them is, plain and simple, an unwillingness on their part to take Jesus up on his invitation and come and see.

Here is the promise God makes to us over and over again. God promises us, "If you seek after me, if you truly seek after me, you will find me." In Jeremiah 29:13, God says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."[9] In James 4:8 we read, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."[10] In Revelation 3:20, Jesus famously says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me."[11]

To be fair, Jesus doesn't ever promise us when, or how, or where. What he does promise is that if we earnestly seek after him with open hearts and minds, and with a willingness to receive whatever it is we find, that we will, in his time, and in his fashion, and the place of his choosing, find him.

This is true in the grand sense of salvation. In other words, Christ extends salvation and eternal life to everybody in the world so that the only people who do not receive these gifts from Christ are those who continuously refuse to ever seek after him. They refuse to come and see.

This is also true, however, in the day-to-day sense of God's guidance. In other words, when we seek God's leading and help in the things we face in this life – our problems, our challenges, our struggles, our pain – if we seek after Christ with humble and open hearts, we will be provided with what we need. That is God's promise.

My own life, in fact, is a testimony that God's promise here can be trusted. For instance, I believe that one of the main places God urges us to seek him in this life is in the scriptures. If we really want to know Christ, to see his character, to experience his grace and truth, to spend quality time with him, the Bible may be the best place we can go. And I do not exaggerate when I tell you that, in my own life whenever I have gone into the scriptures genuinely seeking Christ with an open and humble heart, I have never been disappointed. I have not always found what I thought I would find, or even what I hoped I would find. But without fail, I have always eventually found what I needed to find. In the end, I have always met Christ.

I really believe that whether or not you are walking with Jesus closely or following him at a distance, either way I believe he turns to you today and asks you, "What you are looking for?" In asking, I believe his hope is that you will answer him the way these two men answered him. "Jesus, where are you staying? I want to know because I want to go there with you. I want to spend time with you. I've heard you have what it is that I've been looking for all my life. And I'd like to see for myself." If that is the answer you give to Jesus when he asks you what you are looking for, I believe Jesus will then say to you, "Come and see."

That's what he told the two disciples that day. And when he did, they did. They went and saw. They went to where Jesus was staying. And they remained with him, we're told, the rest of the day.

I'd love to know how that time was spent.[12] That means that, knowing Jesus, they probably spent the time simply enjoying one another around a table of good food and good drink. Likely, Jesus talked and they found themselves hanging on every word. Then they talked and they found Jesus listening to them like nobody had ever listened to them before. Wouldn't you have loved to have been there, to have been included around the table that night?

While we don't know exactly how the evening was spent, we do know that for at least one of these men it changed everything. Andrew was one of the two. And John's account here makes clear that Andrew's time with Jesus was transformational. So much so that the first chance he gets, Andrew races to tell his brother. "Simon," he says, "we have found the Messiah! Come and see, Simon! We have found the Christ!"

Don't miss it. A day earlier Andrew called Jesus "teacher". But now, having spent time with Jesus, Andrew knows better. Now Jesus is "Messiah." Could Andrew have understood all that this title meant? Of course not. Nevertheless, God's promise was beginning to be worked out in his life. He had gone seeking with all his heart, and now he was finding. And already it was changing everything for him.

I mean, what is the very first thing he does after meeting Jesus? It's beautiful, really. Having been given the opportunity to come and see himself, the first thing he does is rush to his brother and extend the same opportunity to him. I got to come and see. Now you come and see!

You see, there's just something about Jesus that, when you come to truly know him, you find yourself wanting to share him.[13] When he does, it turns out that Simon, like his brother, is also a willing and eager seeker. Just like his brother before him, Simon goes to see for himself if what he has been told about Jesus is true. When he does, Jesus welcomes Simon, just liked he welcomed his brother before him.

In fact, Jesus goes even further. We're told that when Simon came face to face with Jesus, Jesus looked carefully at Simon. The word in the original language here suggests that Jesus gazed intently at Simon. Jesus, in other words, wasn't simply studying his face; Jesus was studying his heart. And he was not studying Simon's heart to see what sort of man he was. He was, I believe, studying to see what sort of man he could become.

And in a moment that changed Simon's life forever, Jesus said to him, essentially, "I know people have known you as John's son. People call you Simon. But from now on you will be known as Peter." And so, from that day forward, Simon became Peter, a name which literally means, "the rock."

It's a name, frankly, that must have sounded strange to people who knew Simon back then. For a rock suggests stability and faithfulness, cool-headedness andself-discipline. But Simon, as you may know if you've read much about him, was none of those things. He was, instead, impulsive and unstable, known for putting his foot in his mouth and acting without thinking. Which meant that calling Simon "The Rock" was a bit like calling Donald Trump the "Humble One", or Simon Cowell the "Gentle One."

Was Jesus really that poor a judge of character?

Legend has it that the great sculptor, Michelangelo, believed that when he sculpted he was merely releasing the masterpiece which was trapped inside each shapeless piece of marble.

Jesus, looking with divine eyes, saw within Simon the God-given potential which was trapped inside this bumbling fisherman. He saw the courage trapped inside the coward, the loyalty hiding behind the traitor, the sacred sown beneath the profane, the image of God tarnished by the stain of sin. Again, Jesus did not name Peter forwhat he was. Jesus named Peter for what, by the grace of God, he could become.

Remarkably, Jesus does the same for each of us. If we would seek after him, we will find him. And when we find Christ we also find, to our surprise, ourselves. For in Christ we discover who God made us to be. Only Jesus, in fact, can really tell us our true identity. Only the Creator really knows that for which the creation was made.

This is why when we come humbly into the gracious presence of Jesus, so many of the names we were, for so long, known by fall away.

Enemies of God become friends of God. And not just God's friends, but his children! Sons of God and daughters of God. Princes and princesses of the EternalKing. The person named "Despair" finds his name changed to "Joy." The person named"Doubt" receives the name "Faith." Theperson named "Shame" takes as her new name "Beloved." The person named "Sinner" is now henceforth addressed as "Saint."

If and when you come seeking Jesus, he will turn to face you and looks deep within you. Not as much to see who you are but, rather, to see what you can, by God's grace, become. And then he will give you a new name, the sort of name you never imagined in your wildest dreams could ever be attached to you.

You see, everything changes in life when we go seeking after Jesus. Among other things, we discover that Jesus has already come seeking after us. We discover that Jesus isn't some great distance away. He's not way up in heaven, beyond some chasm of time and space we can never cross. He isn't the proverbial guru sitting on top of the proverbial mountain we have to climb to reach.

Jesus has come near. All the way from heaven to earth. The divine Word has become flesh, full of grace and full of truth. Come to extend this invitation to all who want to know where he is staying. "Come and see," he says. "Come and see."

The Next Step

A resource for Life Groups and/or personal application

- Read John 1:35-42 again.

What is the most interesting or intriguing part of this story for you?

- Do you think that these two disciples knew what they were getting into when they followed Jesus? Why did they follow him?

- When was the first time in your life you remember feeling drawn to follow after Jesus? What was it about Jesus that first drew you to him?

- How would you respond to Jesus if he turned to you today and asked you, "What are you looking for? What are you after?" What would you say to him?

- In Jeremiah 29:13 we hear God promise, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Do you believe this is true? Do you believe that any person who truly seeks God will ultimately find God?

- Who is one person you most eager/longing to take to meet Jesus?

- If Jesus were to come and give you new name which represented what you could become with God's help, what name would you want him to give you?

- Who was a "John the Baptist" figure in your life? In other words, was there somebody along the way who first pointed you in the direction of Jesus? What has that person meant to you?

References:/Notes

[1] See Matthew 11:11.

[2] William Barclay, The Daily Bible Study Series: The Gospel of John, Volume 1, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1955), p. 69.

[3] Barclay was helpful here and I'm stealing a bit of his language. (p. 71)

[4] Matthew 7:7-8.

[5] Matthew 11:28.

[6] John 7:37-38.

[7] Matthew 19:14.

[8] Matthew 22:4.

[9] NIV. See also Deuteronomy 4:29.

[10]NIV, italics mine.

[11]NIV.

[12] We do know that Jesus did not perform any miracles at that point. See John 2:11. So at least we know Jesus didn't put on a magic show for them.

[13] It's a bit like this. Imagine you and a group of others are dying of thirst out in the desert. Finding Jesus is not like finding a cooler containing just a few drinks and wanting to hoard the life-saving water because there's just not enough to go around. Finding Jesus, rather, is like coming across a perpetually flowing sweet-water spring with more water than you could ever drink yourself. Naturally, you want to go and tell everybody else in the desert who is dying of thirst to come and see what it is you have found. There's plenty for everybody!

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 week ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 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. 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. 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.
- John 1:35-42

The Apostle John is giving a day by day account here in the first chapter. We saw day one in verses 19-28. And on day one, John the Baptist was questioned by the Jewish delegation that came down from Jerusalem.

On day two, John the Baptist pointed out Jesus, presumably to his disciples, and identified him as the Lamb of God.

Day three begins with verse 35 and that marks the beginning of our text for this morning. On this day, John the Baptist was apparently sitting down with two of his disciples. And just like the day before, he looked up and saw Jesus walking. And when he saw Jesus, he and his two disciples stood up. I suppose they stood up in order to see him better.

Example: If you go to a basketball game, you get there just a little early and you find your seat. But when the team comes out of the locker room to take the court, you stand up so you can see the star player when he comes out.

And John the Baptist and his disciples may have been seated along the riverside hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus if he came by. And sure enough, in due time, Jesus came walking. And John the Baptist and his two disciples stood up.

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.

Again, John instructs his disciples by repetition. Remember that the day before he had identified Jesus as the Lamb of God. And now, to impress this truth upon the disciples he repeats that Jesus is the Lamb of God. 2

And of course, when he says that Jesus is the Lamb of God,

And of course, when he says that Jesus is the Lamb of God, he is certainly suggesting that Jesus is the One who has come to be the true sacrifice for sins. The Jews were well familiar with the sacrifice of lambs. A lamb was sacrificed every morning and every evening in the temple. At every Passover feast, every family killed a lamb for the feast. It was a dangerous thing to be a lamb in Israel because you were likely to end up on the altar of sacrifice.

But animal sacrifices were nothing but types of that true sacrifice which was to come. And after 1500 years of sacrificing animals, which could never take away sins, John stood up and pointed at Jesus and said,

Behold the Lamb of God.

What a wonderful minister of the gospel John was. During his ministry, John had gathered several disciples. And John had busied himself with teaching his disciples. And I am sure his disciples were a great comfort to him. But when Jesus came by he pointed his disciples to Jesus. This is the business of a minister – not to gather followers for himself, but to point them to Christ.

This is a sign of many cults. They often have a dynamic leader who draws many men to himself. And the people are so devoted to that leader that they will do anything for that leader. And he cultivates that devotion and he becomes like a god to his followers. And he puts a fence around them and brainwashes them so that they follow no one but him.

But a true minister of Christ has no desire to hem in his followers. His only desire is to lead them to Christ. And his great satisfaction is when they find Christ and follow him.

Example: A school teacher doesn't consider it a loss when his student graduates and moves on to the university. It is mission accomplished. And John gathered disciples, not for himself, but for Christ.

Jesus gains his first disciples.

And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

I am sure that these disciples had previous instruction from John. This was not their first information about Jesus. They didn't simply follow Jesus without information. John had prepared them for this moment. So, when John pointed out the Messiah, his disciples were ready to follow him.

I suppose that they had heard John the day before when he preached to them that Jesus is the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world. And being convicted of their sins, they desired to know more about Christ.

I. The Awareness of Jesus

The disciples fell in line behind him - it says they followed him. But Jesus soon became aware of them. I suppose he was aware in his omniscience that they were following him. Nevertheless, he was under no compulsion to pay them any heed. He could have walked on without paying any attention. But this would not have been like Jesus. He was always the kind to take note of those who sought him. The lame man called out to him, and Jesus heard him. Zachaeus was in a tree, but Jesus took note of him. When Jesus was being swarmed by the multitudes, a woman touched the hem of his garment and he noticed her and healed her.

And here we find that John's disciples simply followed behind him and he turned around and saw them.

Then Jesus turned and saw them . . .

This shows the mercy of Christ. If a soul has any desire to know Christ, Christ is more than anxious to know that soul. If any man would have a Savior, Christ is anxious to be one.

And Jesus Christ turned around and saw them. But he did more than that. You will notice that Jesus first spoke to them.

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? This was not a reprimand here. Jesus was not angry with them for following him. Rather it was a kind invitation into his acquaintance. He that came to seek and to save never stopped anyone from seeking Him. Even little children were encouraged to come and sit on his knee.

And so Jesus turned around and spoke to them in a kind a humble way. They perhaps were afraid to speak to him and so he first speaks to them to calm their fears and to set them at ease.What is it that you seek?

II. The Question That Christ Posed to Them

What seek ye?

Isn't this the key question for anyone who is making a profession of religion? What seek ye? You are following somewhat behind Christ. You are making application to his church, but what is it really that you are seeking?

Many people follow after Christ hoping for worldly favors. They hope that Christ will increase their holdings and make them rich. They hope for health and welfare in this life. Others hope for the praise of men. Some want to see his great miracles. And if we follow after Christ for these things only, then we deceive ourselves in our religion. But if we follow after Him to be our teacher and to be our ruler; if we follow after Him to be our Lord and Savior; if we follow Him that he might take away our sins; then He will turn around and speak words of grace to us and He will invite us into His company.

III. The Question They Posed to Christ

They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

In calling Him Rabbi, they acknowledge Him as a teacher. Rabbi was a respectful term to the Jews. It was equivalent to the title "Master." For anyone to bear the title of Rabbi, he was acknowledged as a great man, one to be consulted in matters of importance.

And never was there such a Rabbi as our Jesus. He is the great one, In Him was hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And these two disciples were coming to Jesus to be His students. And so should each one of us.

Then they asked Him where he dwelt. Now remember that Jesus is a visitor in this part of the country. Jesus was from Nazareth in Galilee. And he is visiting here in Bethany. (John 1:28) And the disciples are wondering where it is that Jesus is staying while he is in town.

I am sure that the two disciples had some theological questions for Jesus. But it may have been an inappropriate time. Jesus may have had other people around him and they didn't want to be rude. But they did want to know where he was staying so that they could seek him out at a later time. This was their way of hinting that they would like to be better acquainted with Him and that they might like to visit Him.

Now let me say that if anyone is seeking Christ, it is a good idea to find out where He staying. Christ does have a house in this world and He resides in that house. And that house is His very own people. You see, Christ lives and resides in His people. He walks and talks and lives through His people. His people speak His words. His people demonstrate who He is with their holy lives.

And Christ's people meet in assemblies called churches. And if anyone wants to meet with Christ it is a good idea to find a church where Christ resides. Now there are many religious organizations where Christ can hardly be found at all. He is hardly mentioned. His Word is barely acknowledged. There are other assemblies where the doctrine of Christ is so distorted that it can hardly be said that he lives there. But there are churches here and there where Christ lives. And it is a good idea to seek out a place where Christ lives and go often to find Him there.

And so the disciples, being richly interested in Christ, ask where He is staying.

IV. Christ's Hospitable Answer

He saith unto them, Come and see.

This response from Jesus must have delighted John's disciples. They hardly expected that they would be invited in so soon. But this is the way Christ is for anyone who seeks Him.

Example: You remember Zacchaeus who climbed the tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus as He walked by. And knowing this, Jesus walked under the tree and lifted up his eyes and said, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. (Luke 19:5)

And now, Jesus tells John's disciples to come and see where He is staying. I want you to notice the sovereign mercy of Jesus Christ. During his ministry, Jesus had thousands of people crushing around Him. And he was merciful to them all. He healed them and fed them and prayed for them. But I wonder how many had the privilege of coming to see where he dwelt. I suspect this privilege was reserved for the few. But on this occasion, the honor fell on Andrew and the other disciple.

I don't know what the two disciples expected. Perhaps they expected Jesus to be staying in the luxury of the local Holiday Inn. There question implies that they thought he actually had some place to stay.

But listen to the words of Jesus.

Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
- Luke 9:58

Our text doesn't tell us where Jesus was staying. But wherever it was, you can be sure it was not opulent. Perhaps it was a cave or a vacant room somewhere. Wherever it was, the disciples would not be tempted to follow Jesus because of his excellent accommodations. They would see no worldly advantage in following Him. And so, Christ says, "Come and see what poor accommodations I have. Come and see, lest you follow me for the wrong reason.

Christ never asks us to follow Him based on false promises. Christ doesn't say, "Follow me and I will put you up in the Holiday Inn."

Example: Remember what He said about Paul. "I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. (Acts 9:16)

Example: The rich young rule came to Christ and asked, "What must I do to be saved." And in the course of the conversation, Jesus said, "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."

Following Jesus is not all health and wealth. Sometimes it is suffering. Sometimes it is poverty. So the question is, "What seek ye?" What is your motivation in seeking Jesus? Come and see this cave where Jesus lives and consider whether or not you would like to follow Him.

V. The Disciples' Acceptance of His Invitation

They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

It says they came and saw where he dwelt. If Christ ever invites you to his home, it is a good thing if you go immediately. Don't check your calendar. Don't go take care of business first. But run to his house, because you have received a priceless invitation. And this John's disciples knew, for they immediately came and saw where he dwelt. Now it was about the tenth hour of the day. If we are going by Roman time, then it was ten o'clock in the morning. But if this is by Jewish reckoning, (their day started at daylight, or 6:00 a.m.) it is four o'clock in the afternoon.

At any rate, the disciples stayed with Jesus for by his humble dwelling, but they found it good to be where Christ was and they remained with him that day. We are not told what they did that day, but we do know that by the end of the day Andrew was sure that this was the Christ. The excellence of Jesus so far exceeds that of other men that Andrew was able to conclude after a short visit that this was the Christ. Even Christ's enemies recognized the difference.

Never man spake like this man.
John 7:46

VI. The Evangelization of Peter

Andrew was so overcome with certainty that he had found the Messiah that he went to find his brother Simon.

He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

I suppose the Roman Catholic Church would have made a theological point if Peter had been the first disciple brought to Christ and we would have never heard the end of how Peter is preeminent. But the simple fact is that Peter was not first, nor second. He was at least the third to come into the inner circle of Christ. Andrew and the other disciple were first and Andrew had the privilege of bringing his brother Simon to meet the Messiah.

Notice that the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother. Example: If a man wins the lottery, the first thing he does is call his closest friend in all the world.

And Andrew, by the providence of God, had stumbled on the greatest treasure of all. And therefore, he went first to the one he loved the most, his own brother Simon. And he said, "We have found the Messiah."

There is something humble about this statement of Andrew. You will notice that he doesn't say, "I have found," as though the honor goes to him. But he says, "We have found." He is rejoicing in the treasure that has been found, not in the honor associated with the finding. And so he says, "We have found."

But there is also a sound of exultation in Andrew's voice. We have found. Andrew has found a pearl of great price and he can hardly contain his excitement.

But there is also a soundness in the doctrine of Andrew because Andrew does not say, "We have found a great prophet," or, "We have found a great teacher," or, "We have found a great miracle worker," but he says, "We have found the Messiah."

We are not sure what it was that convinced Andrew, but we are sure that he came to the correct conclusion. John the Baptist had pointed at Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God." And John also bare record that this is the Son of God. But after visiting with Jesus, Andrew was convinced that this was the Messiah. It is likely that Jesus pointed out the Old Testament Scriptures to Andrew and Andrew was so convinced that he ran to bring his brother to Christ.

And so when Andrew had found his brother, it says that he brought him to Jesus. And he brought him to Jesus.

Andrew didn't take a lot of time to instruct Simon, but he brought Simon to the very fountainhead of knowledge of instruction. He brought him to Jesus.

VII. Christ's Reception of Peter

You will note first that Jesus knew his name.

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.

By all accounts, Simon was a stranger to Jesus. Perhaps Andrew had told Jesus his brother's name, but it seems more likely that Jesus knew Simon by his omniscience. Not only did Jesus know his name, but he knew his father's name.

The Lord knoweth them that are his.
II Timothy 2:19

But then, without delay, Jesus gave Simon a new name. "Thou shalt be called Cephas."

By giving him a new name, Jesus immediately claims ownership and authority over Peter.

Example: Can you imagine if you were introduced to someone for the first time and he then told you that he was changing your name?

This was an act of authority. From this point forward, Christ would be the master and Peter would be the servant. And if Christ would change his name, then so be it. So, Christ said, "Thou shalt be called Cephas."

But it was also an act of sovereign foreknowledge, predicting what Peter would become. Cephas is the Greek translation of an Aramaic word meaning "rock." And, in time, Peter would become a rock for Christ. He, along with the other apostles, were also the foundation stones upon which the church would be built.
(Matthew 16:18 and Ephesians 2:20)

So, in our text this morning, we see that Jesus has begun to surround himself with his first apostles. We have Andrew, the other apostle who came with Andrew, and Peter, Andrew's brother. In the next section Jesus will find Philip and Nathanael.

We are seeing the initial formation of the New Testament church.

by William G. Carter

Gospel: Mark 10:32-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. "And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Through twenty centuries, the church has usually painted a pretty picture of the twelve original disciples of Jesus. Pious people have named churches after them, often referring to the first disciples as the rocks upon which Christ has built his church. You have heard of Saint Peter's Cathedral. There is a monastery of Saint Thaddeus in Iran. With incense in the air, I have even heard somebody say, "Pray for us Saint Judas Iscariot, patron of all Christ's betrayers."

Yet anybody who hears the Gospel of Mark's stories about the disciples will wonder if they were saints at all. Mark gives us a tinted picture of who they were and what they wanted. Sure, the disciples walked the road with Jesus. They listened as he taught. They watched as he did signs and wonders. They followed where he led. However, according to Mark, they never really got the point. In fact, they usually look foolish.

Today we hear about James and John scurrying up to Jesus while the others weren't looking. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do whatever we ask." Hear that for what it is: that is a shameless request. Those two brothers really didn't have the right to ask for a blank check. Jesus, in his eternal patience, decided to sound them out. "What do you want?" he said. They replied, "On the day when you enter your glory, when you ascend as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, at the great moment when you sit upon the throne over heaven and earth, we want to sit at your right and at your left."

Well, it was a ridiculous request . . . and when the other ten disciples heard about it, they got very angry with James and John. They were upset, not because they thought it was the wrong request to make, but because James and John asked for it first. Those two lowly fishermen wanted two premiers seats in the Kingdom of God, two thrones of honor for that day when Jesus will finally shine in the fullness of his glory.

This is what the Gospel of Mark reveals about the twelve disciples who stood closest to Jesus. They sound like children who play "King of the Hill." They shamelessly tried to scramble to the top of the heap. We hear them beg for power, and shake our heads in disbelief.

It is jarring to hear such blatant self-promotion. We don't expect that in the church, because out in the world, such attitudes are present every day. The world we know encourages us to take the initiative, climb the ladder, and push to the front of the line. "Blessed are the aggressive," says our culture, "for they will get what they want." If that means pulling the boss aside and making a private pitch, then that is what must be done. Like it or not, this is how the world works. How strange to see the same attitudes in the church, even if they may not be immediately obvious.

Will Willimon is a a Methodist pastor. He once wrote about power and politics in his denomination. Methodist preachers, he notes, are under the care of a bishop. Bishops, in turn, are Methodist preachers who are elected by fellow Methodist preachers after an extensive campaign for the office in which the candidate tries not to be caught campaigning. As he observes,

It is a long-standing Methodist tradition that bishops must not appear to have sought their office and, once elected, the new bishop must make a public declaration that "I didn't seek this office and I didn't want it but, once the Lord calls . . . Methodist preachers take all of this with a grain of salt, the same way Baptist congregations have learned to be somewhat skeptical when one of their preachers moves on to a better church claiming, "I hate to leave this church and I would rather stay here, but the Lord calls." Baptists note that the Lord rarely calls someone out of one church into another church unless that church has a higher salary. Methodists have likewise noted that there have been few preachers who, once they are elected bishop, turn the job down.[1]

The curious thing about Willimon's words is that, shortly after he made that crack, he was elected the United Methodist bishop of North Alabama. And he didn't turn down the job.

"Teacher, we want you to put us on your right and on your left. But keep it quiet. Don't make it too obvious. Others may become offended that we asked first." By telling us this story, Mark knows what you and I know: anybody is prone to the same desire for privilege and protected status. We want a Jesus who will give us what we want, a Lord who can shower a little power on us, a Savior who can make us better than we are.

It happens in congregations. I remember reading a book that a friend gave me when I became a minister. He wanted to knock the crust off my naiveté, so he gave me this tongue-in-cheek book. According to the book, here is the first principle of church life: "Despite the pious things we say, at any given time, less than five percent of any group in the church is operating with purely Christian motivation. The other ninety-five percent is asking, 'What's in it for me?'"[2]

Oh, I read those words, and thought, "Oh, no. That's not true. Christian people are inherently generous and gracious. They are always eager to help, remaining free from selfish motives and concerns about getting their own way." Then I tried to gather a group to volunteer at a homeless shelter, and one after another said, "What's in it for me?" Somewhat discouraged, I attempted to gather adults to make meals for the homebound. Each one said, "What can I get out of it?"

"Teacher, give us what we want. Give us the seats of glory." Jesus seems naïve when he replies, "You don't know what you're asking." We know perfectly well what we are asking. We want God to meet our unlimited, unchecked, unwarranted needs and help us get ahead.

Yet in a deeper sense, any request for cheap success reveals we do not know what kind of God we meet in Jesus. "Look," he said to his disciples, "we are going up to Jerusalem. And it's uphill all the way. The road is hard and difficult. We face painful twists and turns. There will be suffering, humiliation, and death. There is no easy road to glory. Are you able to drink this cup? Are you able to bear this kind of baptism?"

James and John reply, "Sure, no problem." But do they really know? Do we know?

Jesus came to proclaim the kingdom, the mysterious reign of God that grows like a secret seed, ever so gently, ever so silently, until it becomes the greatest of all plants. One morning, God willing, we will wake up and see this gift of God and we will wonder how it happened. We won't know. The kingdom grows in spite of us, in ways we cannot comprehend.

The key is Jesus himself, who comes with a kind of paradoxical, left-handed power. Recall what Jesus does in the Gospel of Mark. One minute, he screams away the demonic forces that torment human minds, telling them to hush. The next minute, he gathers little children and lepers into the embrace of God. One day he shouts at wind and waves and all the turbulent powers of an unruly creation. Another day he rides a humble donkey into a hostile city. Once Jesus puts his fingers in the ears of someone who has never heard the good news of God. Immediately he uses his words as a scalpel for cutting away the cancerous lies that keep people from the health which God intends.

In every way, Jesus Christ has come to make a difference in this painful, haunted world. This is his mission. He has come to serve, not to sit on a throne with dull-minded disciples on his right and his left. He has come to give his life to pay off our ransom to the powers and principalities, to set people free from all that can damage, hurt, and destroy.

Are you able to drink that cup? Are you able to share his baptism? Anybody who would follow Jesus must be a servant as he is a servant. It requires a total change in how we live. If we want to follow Jesus, we can't live for ourselves anymore. That's what conversion looks like. We must give our lives in service to others.

Richard Foster tells about receiving a phone call from a friend. The friend's wife had taken the car, and he wanted to know if Richard could take him on a number of errands. Richard was preparing to teach a college class, but since the man was his friend he reluctantly agreed. As he ran out the door, car keys in hand, he grabbed a book to read along the way. It was a book by Dietrich Bonhoffer called Life Together.

Foster picked up his friend, and the errands did not go well. There were plenty of stops and starts, traffic was bad, and precious time kept ticking away. Finally they pulled into a parking lot, the friend got out, and Richard stayed behind with his book. He opened it to the bookmark, and read these words:

The second service that one should perform for another in a Christian community is that of active helpfulness. This means, initially, simple assistance in trifling, external matters. There is a multitude of these things wherever people live together. Nobody is too good for the meanest service. One who worries about the loss of time that such petty, outward acts of helpfulness entail is usually taking the importance of his own career too solemnly.[3]

Ah, God gets through sometimes. Just when you are feeling so important, God gets through. Happens to me all the time.

It happened at my high school graduation. I was elected senior class president; I was so proud of myself. Of course, my opponent was visiting Europe at the time of the election, so she couldn't really campaign. So I was the president. That meant I could give a speech at graduation, an important speech by an important leader. I was so proud of myself. Worked on that speech for weeks.

When the day came, and they called out my name, I stood regally and moved toward the platform. As I climbed the steps, my big feet started walking up the inside my graduation robe and I fell flat on my face. Ever try to give a speech when 320 of your classmates are laughing at you?

And then, when it was all over, my mother said, "God did that, to make you humble." Gee, thanks, Mom. So much for my big moment.

To this day, I'm not sure I believe that God make us to fall on our faces. I think we just do that naturally. And if you're living close to the ground, humble, it isn't as far to fall. The word "humility" comes from the word "humus," as in the soil, as in, "your feet are flat upon the ground." You don't think more highly of yourself than you need to.

This is a picture of how we follow Jesus, the same Jesus who says, "I did not come to be served; I came to serve." No pretention. No arrogance. No ambition to prove his power. Mark says, one day after another, Jesus went to the people where he could offer the most help. He set all glory aside and did what he could for the benefit of the people around him.

You know, we have people like that in this church. A lot of people like that. They are tireless in doing what needs to get done. I am reluctant to single anybody out, but there are so many of you. Sometimes the service offered is quiet, behind the scenes, just a phone call, or a greeting card, or a simple offer of support. Maybe it's a delicious meal made and delivered. Or a ride to a doctor, even a ride to a far-off hospital. It happens all the time around here. God bless those who serve. Not those who talk about serving, but those who actually do it. God bless you.

This is the ministry of Christ that we do. We speak of the stewardship of our money, and that is critically important. But there is also a stewardship of power, to be lived out in the life of service. As Christ sets aside his glory, as he hides incognito in the Galilean countryside, so he calls us to set aside all self-importance to make a constructive difference in the places where we live, where we love, where we spend our time.

Are you able? Can you drink that cup? Share his baptism? To follow Jesus, in our time, in our place, means to live for the benefit of other people. That's why we are here. Not to stand out, not to single out, but to serve.

Jesus still asks the questions: "Are you able to drink my cup? Are you able to share my baptism? Are you able to walk with me, giving yourself to others in a life of service?" If we dare say yes, we must remember the road of discipleship is uphill all the way, and it leads to the foot of the cross. Whoever would follow Jesus must follow him all the way there. He never promised anything else.

References

[1] William H. Willimon, And the Laugh Shall Be First (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986) 94.

[2] David S. Belasic and Paul M. Schmidt, The Penguin Principles (Lima, Ohio: CSS Press, 1986) 17.

[3] Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978) 117-8.