Sermon John 1.29-42

Sermon John 1.29-42

What an extraordinary moment it must have been for Simon the fisherman. An ordinary working man from Bethsaida with little education or ambition other than to be a good Jew and provide for his family. Suddenly here he was, face to face with this new Rabbi his brother Andrew was excitedly insisting was the Messiah.

Well Andrew was a bit easily influenced and prone to follow the latest new teacher – last time it was that weird and scary Baptizer, John. And this bloke certainly didn’t look like the Messiah – the Anointed One to be sent by God who would surely end the Roman occupation and restore the fortunes of Israel.

But there was something intriguing about him, a deep integrity, a calm confidence and certainty as he looked Simon in the eye and said “You are Simon the son of John... but I’m going to call you Peter, “the Rock” – that’s who you are!

Just that – no explanation – and then a call to “follow”, to “come and see”…

Simon could have laughed it off and gone back to his boat, but somehow he was certain that this stranger was very close to God, that he knew Simon inside out and that Simon must drop everything and follow him wherever it might lead. He knew that he was anything but a Rock, a Peter, but perhaps he had potential no one else had seen and perhaps by following the stranger, this Jesus, he would develop into the person God intended him to be… A Follower of Jesus, this is what he must be!

One of my personal goals this year is to be more like the apostle Andrew. The first thing he did after meeting Jesus was to go and bring his brother to his own life changing meeting with the Lord. Later he brought the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus, later still it was some Greek enquirers... he was always introducing people to Jesus. And once they met Jesus their lives were changed forever.

Of course you have to think about how and when you introduce people to Jesus (some funny examples of getting it wrong…)

Follow me!
The call to follow Jesus was not just for Simon Peter, Andrew and the other apostles. The writer of the fourth gospel is clear that his purpose in writing is that others will believe in Jesus and will also become his followers, his disciples.

These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20.31

The call to believe in Jesus and follow him is repeatedly made in the first and last chapter of John and through the Apostles that call is directed to us, as individuals and as the Church – the new community which God is forming in His Son for the salvation of the whole world.

We are mainly going to be following Matthew’s gospel this year and we’ll find the same emphasis, the same purpose there.

So what do we do about it?

How does this translate to what we should actually do as the Christian community and as Christian individuals? How will the church and the individual Christian look and behave if they are serious about discipleship, about following Jesus ?

• Purpose This kind of Church will have a clear purpose and will communicate this clearly to all its members and to prospective members. The purpose will be closely allied to the great commission (to make disciples) and to the commandment to love God and neighbour. A Church that is serious about discipleship is more than a Sunday Club where nice people go and be nice to each other. It is more than a historical society where quaint old traditions are maintained. It is part of the rescue organisation through which God is saving the world in the sacrifice and the risen life of his Son.

• Flexibility On the other hand there will be flexibility in this purpose. The purpose mustn’t become like a straitjacket or a pair of blinkers a racehorse wears to keep it running in a straight line. The Church which is serious about discipleship will continually be reconsidering its purpose, humbly, prayerfully and with openness to being nudged in a different direction by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of a Church, especially a Church like St George’s which has a high turnover in membership, is not static. And its only through deep, committed prayer that we’ll be prepared for the changes of direction God wants us to make (24-7 Prayer event coming soon!)

• Process It is also understood that disciples are not born but made (Matt 28.19-20). The Church which is serious about discipleship focuses all its energy, its activities and its structures on the process which encourages non attenders to become attenders, attenders to become believing members, members to become ministers and missionaries. All the resources of scripture, preaching and teaching, prayer, praise and worship are consistently applied to support this process. Christians are helped to grow in maturity in the way they use their time, their money, their gifts and abilities.

• This leads on to the next point, that the Church which is serious about discipleship Trains and Empowers its members, enabling them to discover their unique vocation or SHAPE, and training them in the skills needed to apply this “shape” in discipleship. We are not all alike and do not all have the same gifts, abilities or opportunities. There are many ways that St George’s helps its members in these things. Think about joining a Home Group (or starting a new one in your area), having a SHAPE consultation or signing up for the next Roots1 or Routes2 course. And again there will be recognition that we don’t all stay the same SHAPE forever (like our bodies!) and our calling may have changed from what it was 5 or 10 years ago...

• Not stopping there, the Church which is serious about discipleship Deploys its Disciples in ministry and mission positions which they are suited to (like a jigsaw where every piece has a slightly different shape), creating completely new ministries where appropriate.

• And finally, it Provides a loving network of support and accountability for its disciples to work within.

I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of Church I want to be a member of and to serve in. I believe it is a vision which is consistent with the Church of the New Testament and with God’s purposes today. It is a kind of Church which will attract new believers and which can be a powerful agent for change in society. It is a Church which is inclusive AND transforming (we don’t have to be just one or the other).

Within such a Church, the individual Christian can grow to be a dedicated follower of Jesus, living a life which pleases God and fulfils the purpose for which it was created.

Where do you fit in?
I want you to think about this. I’m not just trying to make you feel guilty so that you will “do more”. I am asking you to pray and sincerely ask God to lead you…
Its about who you are; where you fit in; where God wants to take you. You may already be following Jesus with confidence and in the best way you can.

Or maybe you are more like Simon the fisherman, living in the village you were born in, stuck in a rut, doing the same work your father did. Could it be that Jesus has a new name for you and a new purpose for your life, within the big picture of his plans for the world?