Inviting Others To Know The Hope Of Jesus Through Our Own Witness

In the first chapter of the Gospel According to John, two of John’s disciples, Andrew and Philip, follow Jesus. Andrew runs to tell his brother Simon about Jesus and brings him to meet Jesus. The next day, Jesus finds Philip and tells him to follow him. Philip then finds Nathaniel and tells him about Jesus and invites him to come and see. Nathaniel scoffs, but Philip remains excited and inviting. This conversation highlights the enthusiasm and excitement of Andrew and Philip in following Jesus, and how they could have chosen to keep Jesus to themselves, but instead chose to invite others to “come and see”.

Andrew and Philip were two of Jesus' apostles who demonstrated what it looks like to bring friends and loved ones to Jesus. Andrew was the one who brought Simon Peter to Jesus, which allowed him to become a great pillar of the early church. Many churchgoers today have friends and loved ones who don't know Jesus or make him a priority in their lives. If someone is yearning for someone to know Christ, they should not give in to the indifference that characterizes so many churchgoers. Instead, they should continue to pray and seek out ways to invite their friends and loved ones into a relationship with Jesus. They should take action and be willing to be a witness to the life-changing presence of Jesus.

This conversation focuses on the importance of sharing one's faith with others and how to go about it. It is noted that most people who don't go to church have little interest in ever doing so, no matter what programs and events are offered. LifeWay research shows that 66% of people who don't go to church would be unlikely to ever attend a service, with 49% being very unlikely. However, 79% of those people said they would be open to talking about faith if a friend's faith was important to them. This indicates that the most effective way to share one's faith is to let others see that it is important to them and that it has an impact on their life. This may be through the way they live their life, the way they talk about Jesus, or by simply inviting someone to church and offering to go with them.

Andrew and Philip were filled with immense joy after meeting Jesus. Pastor Chris then shared a personal story about how he discovered sandhill cranes when he first moved to Florida. He was so excited about it that he rushed home to get his wife and take her back to see the cranes. He noted that this same enthusiasm is what draws people to Jesus, citing Simon and Nathaniel as examples. Simon must have noticed something different about Andrew after he met Jesus, and Nathaniel was willing to come and see the difference in his friend Philip's demeanor. The speaker concluded that no amount of programs and bells and whistles can compare to the simple witness of someone who knows and loves Jesus and is willing to share their faith with others.

Get Pastor Chris's book, "The Beatitudes" here: www.bit.ly/PastorsBook

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