Sunday, June 19, 2016

PHILIP: THE SKEPTIC MIND ( The Master's Twelve- Part V)

PHILIP: THE SKEPTIC MIND
John 14:8-14  (The Master’s Twelve- Part V )
One day while I was coming back home, I was stopped by an enthusiastic young woman from “The Nature Conservancy group” in Boston. She just wanted one minute of my time to explain what their group does to conserve nature. She asked me what I do, I said, I work for “Soul Conservancy” Her response was “Oh! Are you a priest? Which church? I said, “I am a pastor of a congregational Church! She said, “I was raised a Catholic, but since going to college, I don’t go to church! I said why not? She said, but I was confirmed, baptized, took communion, so I am still in the church, but I don’t go! May be thinking that she won’t get much out of this preacher, she directed me to their website to learn more about what their society does.

It was an interesting conversation with that young woman. That made me wonder, how many young people like her, once grew up in church, and were active in their faith but, when they come out of college, as young adults no longer attend church or practice their faith?  Why do so many people stay away from church these days? Why is there so much skepticism in our times like never before in the History? How come even churches are filled with skeptics?

We have been learning about the lives of twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. So far we have learned about four disciples: Peter, the “Go-getter”, John the beloved disciple, Andrew the problem solver, James the ambitious but broken. Today we will learn about a disciple while called by Jesus to follow him and selected to be one of the twelve disciples yet regularly battled with skepticism. From time to time having doubts about God, and faith is quite normal, even for a seasoned believer, but if you are a perpetual skeptic, always criticizing then you have a real problem. Let’s look at Philip: The skeptic Mind

I. PHILLIPS EARLY LIFE: (John 1:43-45)
What do we know about Philip, his name, background and profession? First let me clear your mind. There are two people in the Bible with the name Philip. The first one was called by Jesus to be one among his twelve disciples. We call him Philip the apostle. The second one was chosen by the apostles to be part of a seven member serving team in the first Church. We call him Philip the Evangelist. For our study we are looking at the life of the first one, Philip the Apostle.  The name Philip, in Greek, “Philippos” means "friend of horses", composed of the elements φιλος (philos) "friend, lover" and ‘ιππος (hippos) "horse."[1]

Let me also define the word skepticism: an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object. It is an attitude of doubting the truth of something (such as a claim or statement). Doubt and criticism are the two main characteristics of a skeptic. Coming back to our story. We were first introduced to Philip in John 1:43-45, “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” What can we know by just reading this passage? We can know that he is from the town of Bethsaida. He knew about the writings of Moses, the law, and the writings of the prophets and also where Jesus came from and whose son he was.

By reading other passages we can safely conclude that Philip was educated, calculative, analytical and good with numbers. Just like Andrew found Peter, Philips found Nathanael and brought him to Jesus. We will learn about Nathanael next week. For now let’s see how Philip’s life was affected by listening to Jesus’ teachings, watching him do miracles and just by simply being with Jesus for three years.

II. PHILIP’S LIFE WITH JESUS 

Philip was one of the earliest disciples who Jesus specifically called to follow him. From that point on we see Philip tagging along with the rest of the disciples. By his virtue of education perhaps, Philip became a prominent disciple who handled difficult and challenging situations. One such occasion was the feeding of the five thousand. Let me set the scene. Jesus healed a man paralyzed for thirty eight years on a Sabbath Day. For that reason Jewish leaders began to persecute him. Sometime after that incident Jesus went up to a mountain side and sat down with his disciples. Seeing huge crowds coming towards him, he turned to Philip and asked him, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat”? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Immediately, Philip pulled out his calculator!

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half years wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bit.” What would that be in today’s currency? It is difficult to determine the value of a denarius today, it is estimated to be around $20 US in the early empire which would have been equal to the daily wage of a common laborer. Based on this estimate, 200 denarii would have been equal to 8 months’ pay and had an approximate value of about $4000 US. Philip was struck by the enormity of the problem and fixated on the limited resources available to address that problem. But he did not believe that Jesus actually can do something about it.

Jesus, with a small boys lunch a mere five loafs and two small fish was able to feed over five thousand people. Not, just one bite on the contrary to Philip’s skeptic and rather sarcastic answer, all of them had enough to eat.  That is the power of our God. If you and I try to feed five thousand people today, at the most we may be able to give each one a single bite, where as if we trust God, it is going to be an abundant and satisfying meal. What can we learn from Philip’s response in this miracle? When God asks you or leads you to do something that may be beyond you or you may have never done it before, what will you do?

Remember God may be testing you, like he did with Philip. Will you shrink back by looking at your limited resources and even become sarcastic towards God? Or will you take whatever steps he shows or asks you to take? After doing your best will you believe him to complete the rest, since he has already decided how he is to meet that particular challenge?

Let me share my faith journey. When we felt that God was opening a door for Joanna to go to Boston Trinity Academy for her high school, we had to pay a nonrefundable deposit which was nearly half of my pay check from the church. We wondered how in the world we were going to support her education with our limited resources. It was a tough decision, but we took a first step by faith and the rest is history. Looking back we praise God all three of girls have been going to BTA and two of them have now graduated and are pursuing colleges.

The lesson we learned here is that when God asks you to do something, don’t embarrass him by looking into your limited resources. Instead believe in his promises, and take the steps of faith and obedience, at the end of the day God gets the glory, and your desires are met.
On another occasion we see Philip’s skepticism and unbelief taking hold him, for which he received a stern rebuke from Jesus. John 14:1-12, in this passage, Jesus shared with his disciples that he was going to his father to prepare place for them.

He said, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip, said, “Lord show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus responded to him rather in a rebuking manner. Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the father. How can you say, “Show us the Father? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

What is going on in this passage? In spite of seeing all the miracles, hearing all the explanations of Jesus regarding him and father are one and the same, Philip remained a skeptic. He just could not bring himself to a realization that there is no one greater than Jesus and, if he has seen Jesus then indeed he has seen the father. Not, only Philip became skeptical and unbelieving, he was acting like as if he was the voice for the rest of the disciples, by saying, “Lord show us the Father and that will be enough for us?

Do we see this playing out in our lives?  How many of us after having seen many miracles of Jesus, after having read and heard his powerful teachings remain skeptical? Coming back to our story, though Philip had read what Moses, the law, and the prophets had written about Jesus for some reason he could not fully trust  him at least while Jesus was still on the earth. But all that has changed during his later years.

III. PHILIP’S LATER YEARS
It is not until after witnessing the powerful resurrection of Jesus, and receiving the promised gift of the Holy Spirit did Philip and the disciples overcome their tendency toward skepticism and unbelief. Philip’s Greek name, his multilingual abilities, and his outgoing personality all combined with his now vibrant faith in the risen Christ equipping him to be a powerful messenger of the gospel in his later years. One of the unique features surrounding the apostle Philip is his connection with the area we now know as France. He is the only apostolic figure who claimed to have carried the gospel.
Philip paid with his life in order to spread the good news.  Crucifixion was a favored punishment by the Romans for anyone who was preaching Christ. In Philip’s case the religious establishment apparently arranged for him to be crucified and stoned but that did not stop the gospel from spreading all over the world. Philip became a martyr for his faith

If Philip were to come to our church this morning what would he say to us? He might say: when God asks you to do something, don’t assume that he doesn’t know how to do that thing. He might say, do not look at your limited resources instead look at God’s abundant resources and provision. Don’t rely upon your smartness but trust God with all your heart.

My friends some of you may be facing big challenges and wondering how to meet them? Some of you have seen God’s miracle time and again yet remain skeptical?  Some of you may be simply struggling to believe that God can change your situation. If that is who you are this morning, look up, smile and trust. God is trustworthy. Put your hope in him. Scripture tells us that anything that does not come of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23). If you are given to skepticism and unbelief you must repent, there is no place for skeptics in God’s Kingdom. Rev 21:8.  

Let me close with this scripture, Hebrews 10:38-39, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” Amen



                                                                                                         



[1] http://www.behindthename.com/name/philip

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

THE STORY OF ANDREW ( The Master's Twelve- Part II)

THE STORY OF ANDREW
(The Master’s-12) John 1:35-42

            We have been on a journey to learn about the lives of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. We call these band of disciples, “The Master’s Twelve” They were just like you and me, ordinary people with regular lives. For about three years Jesus trained them in matters pertaining to life, death and the eternal life to come after death.  During that training Jesus noted how slow these team members were so he was patient with them.
           
            Jesus saw how fearful and lacking in faith they were, at times he had to rebuke them, encourage, correct and bring their focus back to the mission of winning the world for him.  On one occasion they even slept through his training session. Yet our Lord saw the potential beyond their weaknesses. One of the main lessons from the lives of the original twelve disciples is that if God can use them, then he can use us. And God will use us to the degree to which we yield to Him, cooperate with Him, and work with one another.
           
            Let me introduce the Master’s 12. “These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” Mark 3:16-19. So far we have learned how Jesus turned, Peter the impulsive, the go getter into an empowered preacher and a world changer. We saw how Jesus turned another disciple into an “Apostle of Love.” Today we will look at another disciple though he was the first one called to follow Jesus, he remained humble, serving Jesus in the background. The story of Andrew. John 1:35-42

I.  ANDREW’S EARLY LIFE
           
            In John 1:40-42, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.  According to these scriptures we know that Simon Peter and Andrew are brothers. It has been said that the Apostle Andrew's father's name was Jona and his mother's name, Joanna. In Greek “Andreas means "manly." The name has also been interpreted as "the mighty one, or conqueror" Like their father, Andrew and Peter were also fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.  In fact, the apostles Andrew, Peter, James and John were all partners in a fishing business. What has changed what seemed to be a normal life of Andrew?  It was the call of Jesus to follow him.

II. ANDREW’S CALL:
                There are three stages in the call of Andrew to the apostleship. The first is described in John 1:28-31. Andrew had spent his earlier years as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, but on learning of the fame of John the Baptist, he departed along with a band of his countrymen to "Bethany" beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing (John 1:28).

There Andrew learned for the first time that there is someone who is greater than John when John made this reference.
           
            John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  Those words may have given Andrew hope for the future. He came to take care of his personal sins, but now he was being introduced to someone who can take care of the sins of the whole world. It is natural for people to follow great leaders, but if you follow Jesus you will be following someone who is the greatest of all the great leaders of all time. When it comes to think of it how cool is it to follow Jesus?
           
            The second stage in Andrew’s calling, we read in John 1:35-39, “The next day John was there again with two of this disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God! When the two disciples heard him say this they followed Jesus.” On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. Andrew was probably present at the marriage in Cana of Galilee (John 2:2).
           
            On his return to Galilee, Andrew resumed for a time his old vocation as fisherman, till he received his second call. This happened after John the Baptist was cast into prison and is described in Mark 1:16-18 Matthew 4:18, 19. The two accounts are practically identical, and tell how Andrew and his brother were now called on definitely to forsake their mundane occupations and become fishers of men (Mark 1:17).
           
            After a period of companionship with Jesus, during which, in the house of Simon and Andrew, Simon's wife's mother was healed of a fever (Mark 1:29-31; the call of Andrew was finally consecrated by his election as one of the Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:2) Andrew was the first of the Apostles to follow Jesus and just as John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the nation of Israel, so Andrew is noted for having introduced Jesus to individuals. Let’s see how Andrew’s life changed living with Jesus.

III. ANDREW’S LIFE WITH JESUS.                                                                             
            For Andrew, living with Jesus must have been very exciting. There was never a dull moment. On many occasions Andrew accompanied Jesus especially when he performed miracles or to some significant events during the ministry of Jesus. For example: Changing water into wine at the wedding of Canaan (John 2:1) Healing of Peter’s mother in law (Mark 1:29). At the Feeding of the five thousand, it was Andrew who spoke up and said, here is a boy with five small barley loves and two small fish (John6:8).
           
            At the feast of the Passover, the Greeks who wished to "see Jesus" inquired of Philip, who turned for advice to Andrew, and the two then told Jesus (John 12:20-36). On the Mount of Olives, Andrew along with Peter, James and John, questioned Jesus regarding the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world (Mark 13:3). Though his name Andrew means "manly" or "courageous" which he had to be to face the hurdles of an apostle.
            From the information we have available in the gospels and Acts, Andrew must not have been much of a talker, as only a dozen or so of his words are preserved in the Bible. Nor did he write any epistles to his credit or perform any miracles, yet through his humility Andrew still speaks.

IV. ANDREW’S LAST DAYS:
           
            Andrew was the first of the Apostles to follow Jesus and just as John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the nation of Israel, so Andrew is noted for having introduced Jesus to individuals. In his latter ministry, it is believed that Andrew went to the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains (present day Georgia in Eastern Europe.)  While there, he preached to the Scythians as far as the Caspian Sea. In the church of St. Andrew in Patros, Greece, there is a book written in Greek which sheds light on his martyrdom.  The following is written: "Aigeatis who was the governor of Patros became enraged at Andrew for his preaching and ordered him to stand before the tribunal in his attempt to do away with the Christian Faith. 
           
            When Andrew resisted the tribunal, the governor ordered him crucified.  Andrew remained tied to the cross with thick tight ropes for three days and his last words were: "Accept me, O Christ Jesus, whom I saw, whom I love, and in whom I am; accept my spirit in peace in your eternal realm." An ancient writer also speaks of the apostle's martyrdom as such: "Andrew hung upon the cross three whole days, suffering dreadful pain but continuing constantly to tell the people around him of the love of Jesus Christ. 
           
            The people, as they listened to him, began to believe his words and asked the governor to let him be taken down from the cross.  Not liking to refuse them, he at last ordered the ropes to be cut but when the last rope was severed, the body of the apostle fell to the ground quite dead." It is believed that Andrew died on the last day of November, 69 AD
           
            What can we take away from the story of Andrew? Andrew was a man of strong conviction, enabling him not only to accept Jesus as the Messiah, but also to encourage Peter to become a disciple. Christ probably chose Andrew knowing that He could develop genuine humility in him, making him a useful instrument in God's church. Andrews’s keen sense of perception, his ability to make quick and reasonable decisions, his interest in others and his unassuming nature are some of the qualities that true disciple of Jesus Christ must aspire.
           
            The story of Andrew is contrary to millions of Americans who want to be the best, and the greatest. Andrew stands in contrast to all those who boast and brag about their victories and successes. Andrew is known for his humility. After accepting the call to follow Jesus, one of the first things Andrew did was to introduce his brother Peter to Jesus. The rest is History!
           
            The concept of “reaching out to one person at a time” has been increasingly used by mission’s experts and churches. It is known as the “Operation Andrew” principle. It simply means, that like Andrew, we too are encouraged to reach out to one person at a time and bring them to Jesus.  Who knows that person may become the next Peter. Can you imagine what our church would look like, for the next one year if each of us pray and intentionally reach out to one person and bring that person to Jesus, and hope, that he or she will join our church?
           
            Our church will double up in size. I think this model of evangelism is very effective and it works. My prayer is that we will follow the example of Andrew in serving Jesus whole heartedly. We will be humble! Be interested in others! We will try to introduce one person at a time Jesus! Amen










Sunday, June 12, 2016

JAMES THE AMBITIOUS BUT BROKEN (The Master's Twelve- Part 4)

JAMES THE AMBITIOUS BUT BROKEN

June is the month of graduations in America. Graduates are peppered with inspiring speeches on “Ambition and success” Arnold Schwarzenegger in his 2010 at Emory university commencement speech said, “You’re going to find naysayers in every turn that you make. Don’t listen. Just visualize your goal, know exactly where you want to go. Trust yourself. Get out there and work like hell. Break some of the rules and never ever be afraid of failure.”[1] Arnold, the inspiring movie star, the terminator, the 38th Governor of California is a living proof of how one can overcome all odds to achieve one’s dreams, as long as you set your heart and mind to it. Highly ambitious people are admired in our society and rightly so they achieve a lot.
                                                                                   
Have you ever known someone whose aggressive, ambitious personality just rubbed you the wrong way? Have you known someone who was so self-seeking that you couldn’t help but hope something humiliating would happen to them, just to teach them a lesson in the area of humility? We find many highly ambitious people in the secular setting and in the corporate world, but how about in the Kingdom of God, is there a place for them? Let me introduce you to a mother and two brothers, James and his younger brother John who were very ambitious to an extent they wanted the most coveted positions of sitting next to Jesus on either side. In the past we have talked about one of the brothers John, today we will look at James the ambitious but broken. We read about him in Matthew 20:20-28, Mark 10:35-45

I. JAMES’ EARLY LIFE: (Mark 1:14-20)

The story takes place in a thriving fishing village by the Sea of Galilee. It is the lowest fresh water lake earth, about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide and about 690 feet below the sea level. After calling a set of brothers Simon and Andrew to follow him, Jesus calls the second set of fishermen brothers. James and John the sons of Zebedee. They were with their father Zebedee preparing their nets for fishing. When Jesus called them, they immediately left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

There are some specific things we can learn from this passage in regards to what kind of environment James and John grew up in and what molded their way of thinking.  These verses indicate that the father Zebedee was wealthy enough to hire other fishermen to help in his fishing business. When we look at the following scriptures we can understand what made them very ambitious.  In Matthew 20: 20-28, we read Mrs. Zebedee, the mother of James and John came up to Jesus with an unusually selfish request. 

Vs 21, she said, to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom.” It is a lofty request that caused quite a stir among the disciples. What do you think of this mother’s request?  When you first read this story it kind of reminds you of parents who have shown how far they would go in the name of a beauty competition -- especially on national television? In TLC's popular show "Toddlers and Tiaras" pageant moms and dads go to great lengths to ensure their children look "perfect" no matter what the age or the cost. In one episode a mother forces her daughter to wax her eyebrows even though part of her eyebrow had previously been ripped off because the wax was too hot. All these parents care about was that their daughters look pretty and become beauty queens.

What a crazy world are we living in where parents drive their children to no end to be famous and successful? In our story all Salome, the mother of James and John cared for was that her two sons have prominent positions in the kingdom of God, not realizing what it takes to have those positions. From reading we know, Salome was a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. She was also one of the women who gave money to support Jesus’ ministry, perhaps she might have thought that would help secure those prominent places for her boys. Her two boys too must have thought that they were the best, therefore they deserved those positions

But Jesus had to disappoint all three of them in order to teach them and us a valuable lesson of humility. He showed them the difference between how the world selects leaders and how God prepares and appoints leaders in His Kingdom. Listen to how Jesus handled this highly ambitious mother and her two boys. Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink? They said to him, “we are able.” He said to them, you will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. Jesus, taught everyone a valuable lesson of true leadership. “But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you.  But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be a slave. Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In this rich text, the Lord was teaching the disciples that the style of greatness and leadership for believers is different.  The Gentile leaders dominate, using carnal power and authority. Believers are to do the opposite, they lead by being servants and giving themselves away for others as Jesus did.

Here are some principles for all those who are aspiring to be leaders in the Kingdom. Mere ambition, and determination to succeed may get you the presidency, but to serve in the kingdom of God ambition alone doesn’t cut it. You cannot lobby, bribe force, or manipulate your way into ministry. God is the one who calls people into ministry, and once they respond to that call then he teaches them the values of the kingdom, equips, and sends them to make an impact in the world. The way God works in raising and releasing leaders is contrary to the way the world works. Does that mean God cannot use ambitious people? Of Course He can, but not until they are broken and become humble before God.

Take for example, Moses: He was highly educated in the palace in Egypt, He saw the injustice being done to his own people, and he was ambitious to release his people from the slavery. But God said; No, Moses you are not ready yet, I need to do some work in you before I could use you; so he sent him into the wilderness to take care of dumb sheep for 40 years. The arrogant, highly intelligent, and ambitious man, by the end of forty years became the meekest man on earth and led over half a million people to the Promised Land. Are you pushing your way in ministry? Or are you letting the Lord shape you into a broken and humble person? Coming back to our story let’s see how James the highly ambitious person was broken before God.

II. JAMES’ LIFE WITH JESUS  

Out of the twelve disciples, Jesus spent extra time with three disciples, Peter, James and John. Out of these three we have the least information about James. His own brother John never mentions him (or himself, for that matter) by name in the Gospel he wrote. James the son of Zebedee is called, “the Great” merely to differentiate him from James, the son of Alpheus (“the less”) one of the other disciples. For some unknown reasons, Peter, James and John became the inner circle of Jesus, who were allowed to witness some special events in the ministry of Jesus.                                  

Though James was older to John, we don’t hear him speaking much. It was John who became more prominent of the two. On a couple of occasions, we hear James speaking, firstly, when Jesus asked the brothers are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink? They said to him, “We are able.” Secondly, when the Samaritans refused to welcome Jesus, James, John both came to Jesus and asked, “Lord do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them? But Jesus turned and rebuked them.” (Luke 9:54) Jesus called John and his brother, “Sons of Thunder,” Just by being in the presence of Jesus, made James the ambitious person into a broken disciple.

III. JAMES’ LATER YEARS:

James was among the eleven disciples on the mount of Galilee when Jesus commissioned them to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Instead of going to all nations, James, John and Peter went back to their old business of fishing. For the second time Jesus restores Peter and commissions him with a task of feeding, and taking care of the sheep (disciples). When the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples in the upper room James’s life was changed forever.

From that point onwards James began to proclaim the gospel boldly along with the rest of the Apostles. God confirmed their message through signs and wonders. The Apostles were arrested, put in the prison, they were beaten and given a charge, “not to speak in the name of Jesus.” We read in Acts 5:41-42, “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.  And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” 

Not too long after that we read, in Acts 12:1, “Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed, James the brother of John with the sword.” With that, James the ambitious but broken disciple earned the reputation of being the first Apostle who was martyred for his faith. An ancient church in Spain claims to contain at least some of the remains of James’s body.
After hearing the story of James, you might be wondering what does this have to do with me in the 21st century. James’ story challenges our priorities and our purpose in life.   Who are you living for? 

What is your ambition?  Is your ambition to become somebody big and popular to make lots of money, or to work for Goldman Sachs, or like James following Jesus and His Kingdom?  James and John had a great ambition to sit on the either side of Jesus in His Kingdom. They thought they could get it by sheer ambition, zeal and imploring their mother to put in a word to Jesus. In turn Jesus showed them another way by asking them a question saying, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink? In other words are you willing to go through the pain and suffering that may involve in following me?

If your ambition today is like James’ to follow Jesus and be used of God in ministry, then Jesus is asking you the same question, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drank from? James and John answered saying “Yes we are able,” what would be your answer? I would like to close with another question, do you think that God granted the request of James and John to sit on the either side of Jesus in His Kingdom?  When you find out the answer let me know. Amen

                                                                                                         




[1] http://personalexcellence.co/blog/graduation-speeches/

Sunday, June 5, 2016

THE STORY OF ANDREW ( The Master's Twelve Part III)

THE STORY OF ANDREW
(The Master’s-12) John 1:35-42

            We have been on a journey to learn about the lives of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. We call these band of disciples, “The Master’s Twelve” They were just like you and me, ordinary people with regular lives. For about three years Jesus trained them in matters pertaining to life, death and the eternal life to come after death.  During that training Jesus noted how slow these team members were so he was patient with them.
           
            Jesus saw how fearful and lacking in faith they were, at times he had to rebuke them, encourage, correct and bring their focus back to the mission of winning the world for him.  On one occasion they even slept through his training session. Yet our Lord saw the potential beyond their weaknesses. One of the main lessons from the lives of the original twelve disciples is that if God can use them, then he can use us. And God will use us to the degree to which we yield to Him, cooperate with Him, and work with one another.
           
            Let me introduce the Master’s 12. “These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” Mark 3:16-19. So far we have learned how Jesus turned, Peter the impulsive, the go getter into an empowered preacher and a world changer. We saw how Jesus turned another disciple into an “Apostle of Love.” Today we will look at another disciple though he was the first one called to follow Jesus, he remained humble, serving Jesus in the background. The story of Andrew. John 1:35-42

I.  ANDREW’S EARLY LIFE
           
            In John 1:40-42, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.  According to these scriptures we know that Simon Peter and Andrew are brothers. It has been said that the Apostle Andrew's father's name was Jona and his mother's name, Joanna. In Greek “Andreas means "manly." The name has also been interpreted as "the mighty one, or conqueror" Like their father, Andrew and Peter were also fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.  In fact, the apostles Andrew, Peter, James and John were all partners in a fishing business. What has changed what seemed to be a normal life of Andrew?  It was the call of Jesus to follow him.

II. ANDREW’S CALL:
                There are three stages in the call of Andrew to the apostleship. The first is described in John 1:28-31. Andrew had spent his earlier years as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, but on learning of the fame of John the Baptist, he departed along with a band of his countrymen to "Bethany" beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing (John 1:28).

There Andrew learned for the first time that there is someone who is greater than John when John made this reference.
           
            John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  Those words may have given Andrew hope for the future. He came to take care of his personal sins, but now he was being introduced to someone who can take care of the sins of the whole world. It is natural for people to follow great leaders, but if you follow Jesus you will be following someone who is the greatest of all the great leaders of all time. When it comes to think of it how cool is it to follow Jesus?
           
            The second stage in Andrew’s calling, we read in John 1:35-39, “The next day John was there again with two of this disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God! When the two disciples heard him say this they followed Jesus.” On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. Andrew was probably present at the marriage in Cana of Galilee (John 2:2).
           
            On his return to Galilee, Andrew resumed for a time his old vocation as fisherman, till he received his second call. This happened after John the Baptist was cast into prison and is described in Mark 1:16-18 Matthew 4:18, 19. The two accounts are practically identical, and tell how Andrew and his brother were now called on definitely to forsake their mundane occupations and become fishers of men (Mark 1:17).
           
            After a period of companionship with Jesus, during which, in the house of Simon and Andrew, Simon's wife's mother was healed of a fever (Mark 1:29-31; the call of Andrew was finally consecrated by his election as one of the Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:2) Andrew was the first of the Apostles to follow Jesus and just as John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the nation of Israel, so Andrew is noted for having introduced Jesus to individuals. Let’s see how Andrew’s life changed living with Jesus.

III. ANDREW’S LIFE WITH JESUS.                                                                             
            For Andrew, living with Jesus must have been very exciting. There was never a dull moment. On many occasions Andrew accompanied Jesus especially when he performed miracles or to some significant events during the ministry of Jesus. For example: Changing water into wine at the wedding of Canaan (John 2:1) Healing of Peter’s mother in law (Mark 1:29). At the Feeding of the five thousand, it was Andrew who spoke up and said, here is a boy with five small barley loves and two small fish (John6:8).
           
            At the feast of the Passover, the Greeks who wished to "see Jesus" inquired of Philip, who turned for advice to Andrew, and the two then told Jesus (John 12:20-36). On the Mount of Olives, Andrew along with Peter, James and John, questioned Jesus regarding the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world (Mark 13:3). Though his name Andrew means "manly" or "courageous" which he had to be to face the hurdles of an apostle.
            From the information we have available in the gospels and Acts, Andrew must not have been much of a talker, as only a dozen or so of his words are preserved in the Bible. Nor did he write any epistles to his credit or perform any miracles, yet through his humility Andrew still speaks.

IV. ANDREW’S LAST DAYS:
           
            Andrew was the first of the Apostles to follow Jesus and just as John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the nation of Israel, so Andrew is noted for having introduced Jesus to individuals. In his latter ministry, it is believed that Andrew went to the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains (present day Georgia in Eastern Europe.)  While there, he preached to the Scythians as far as the Caspian Sea. In the church of St. Andrew in Patros, Greece, there is a book written in Greek which sheds light on his martyrdom.  The following is written: "Aigeatis who was the governor of Patros became enraged at Andrew for his preaching and ordered him to stand before the tribunal in his attempt to do away with the Christian Faith. 
           
            When Andrew resisted the tribunal, the governor ordered him crucified.  Andrew remained tied to the cross with thick tight ropes for three days and his last words were: "Accept me, O Christ Jesus, whom I saw, whom I love, and in whom I am; accept my spirit in peace in your eternal realm." An ancient writer also speaks of the apostle's martyrdom as such: "Andrew hung upon the cross three whole days, suffering dreadful pain but continuing constantly to tell the people around him of the love of Jesus Christ. 
           
            The people, as they listened to him, began to believe his words and asked the governor to let him be taken down from the cross.  Not liking to refuse them, he at last ordered the ropes to be cut but when the last rope was severed, the body of the apostle fell to the ground quite dead." It is believed that Andrew died on the last day of November, 69 AD
           
            What can we take away from the story of Andrew? Andrew was a man of strong conviction, enabling him not only to accept Jesus as the Messiah, but also to encourage Peter to become a disciple. Christ probably chose Andrew knowing that He could develop genuine humility in him, making him a useful instrument in God's church. Andrews’s keen sense of perception, his ability to make quick and reasonable decisions, his interest in others and his unassuming nature are some of the qualities that true disciple of Jesus Christ must aspire.
           
            The story of Andrew is contrary to millions of Americans who want to be the best, and the greatest. Andrew stands in contrast to all those who boast and brag about their victories and successes. Andrew is known for his humility. After accepting the call to follow Jesus, one of the first things Andrew did was to introduce his brother Peter to Jesus. The rest is History!
           
            The concept of “reaching out to one person at a time” has been increasingly used by mission’s experts and churches. It is known as the “Operation Andrew” principle. It simply means, that like Andrew, we too are encouraged to reach out to one person at a time and bring them to Jesus.  Who knows that person may become the next Peter. Can you imagine what our church would look like, for the next one year if each of us pray and intentionally reach out to one person and bring that person to Jesus, and hope, that he or she will join our church?
           
            Our church will double up in size. I think this model of evangelism is very effective and it works. My prayer is that we will follow the example of Andrew in serving Jesus whole heartedly. We will be humble! Be interested in others! We will try to introduce one person at a time Jesus! Amen