Molded by the Master-Andrew: Becoming a Fisher of Men

“MOLDED BY THE MASTER-ANDREW: BECOMING A FISHER OF MEN” JOHN 1:35-42 INTRO: Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). Jesus said, “I "will make you fishers of men": you shall be fishers still, but in a higher sense; and in a far more noble employment, and to much better purpose. The net they were to spread and cast was the Gospel” (John Gill’s Exposition of The Entire Bible). The Institute for American Church Growth asked 10,000 people about their decision to join a particular church. What led them in? Answers were: Special need, 2 percent; Walk-in, 3 percent; Pastor, 6 percent; Visitation, 1 percent; Sunday School, 5 percent; Evangelistic crusade, 5 percent; Program, 3 percent; Friend/relative, 79 percent (Wayne Zunkel, Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 3). D. L. Moody said, “If this world is going to be reached, I am convinced that it must be done by men and women of average talent. After all, there are comparatively few people in the world who have great talents” ( D. L. Moody, Christian History, No. 25). So far in this series we have looked at Peter and how the Lord molded him from a life of inconsistency to consistency. We have also looked at John, and how by the Lord’s molding, he found the balance between love and truth. Today, We will look at Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. John MacArthur in his book Twelve Ordinary Men writes: “Andrew…may be a better model for most Church leaders than Peter, because most who enter ministry will labor in relative obscurity…as being opposed to being renowned and prominent…Whenever he does come to the forefront, the thing that shines is his uncanny ability to see immense value in small and modest things. He was known for bring individuals not crowds to Jesus. Almost every time we see him in the Gospel accounts, he is bringing someone to Jesus” (Twelve Ordinary Men. John MacArthur. pp. 64, 67). Andrew could not preach or lead like Peter but he had a work he could do and did. He brought others to Jesus. In his book Leadership That Works, Pastor Leith Anderson writes about the evangelistic strategy of a woman named Kathy: “She was a successful stockbroker in Minneapolis who easily made friends and had the gift of evangelism. She used to go to the pool at her apartment complex, settle on a chaise lounge, read a book, and eventually strike up a conversation with whoever sat next to her. Soon the two would become friends, and Kathy would begin talking about her Christian faith. Bringing newcomers to church was her regular practice. She was so good at this that she was invited to serve on the church evangelism board. When Kathy was asked me what I thought to the idea, I said, ‘It seems ridiculous. Why would we put someone who is so good at evangelism in a room for hours with people who are already Christians? Let someone else serve on the evangelism board while you sit out by the pool’” (Leadership That Works. Leith Anderson. pp. 135-136). In Andrew, we see what it means to a Fisher of Men. In John 12: 20-22 we read, “And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired of him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.” He was MOLDED BY THE MASTER and had a talent for bringing men to Jesus. TO BECOME A FISHER OF MEN REQUIRES THREE THINGS: (1) SEEKING JOHN 1:41a—“He first findeth his own brother Simon…” A. THE URGENCY REQUIRED IN SEEKING. At this time in his life Andrew did not know all there was to know about Jesus but what he knew gave him urgency. There were two things which motivated his urgency: 1. The Joy of Discovery. Andrew had grown up with the expectation of the Messiah coming and knew his brother need this information also. Adam Clarke wrote: “Every discovery of the Gospel of the Son of God produces benevolence, and leads those to whom it is made to communicate it to others. Those who find Jesus find in him a treasure of wisdom and knowledge, through which they may not only become rich themselves, but be instruments, in the hand of God, of enriching others” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary On The Bible). “The new was too good to keep to himself, so Andrew went and found the one person in the world whom he loved most—whom he most wanted to know Jesus—and led him to Christ” (1). Because of what we have found in Jesus there is a joy in leading others to HIM. Surely there can be no deeper joy than that of saving souls. -- Lottie Moon, missionary to China, "Hudson Taylor and Missions to China," Christian History, no. 52. 2. The Joy of Gratitude. Andrew had urgency because he was so thankful for what Jesus had done for him! Because of this gratitude he was led to share his experience with others. ILLUS: During World War II, a fighter pilot bailed out into occupied France. His life was saved by the courageous French people who sheltered him and helped him escape. After the war was over, the pilot took all the money he could scrape together and went back to Normandy to look for the people who had helped him. Of the twenty people who had risked their lives for him, he found nineteen. One had been killed in the final fighting. The pilot brought food and clothing which these people sorely needed and did everything he possibly could to show them his gratitude for saving his life. by Vernon O. Elmore p.13 Out of our thanksgiving and gratitude to God for saving our souls, we should share what Jesus has done for us with others. It is the least we can do! Warren Wiersbe said, “You are a Christian today because somebody cared. Now it’s your turn” (2). “The Church is the only cooperative society in the world that exists for the benefit of its nonmembers” (William Temple, Leadership, Vol. 5, No. 4). B. THE ULTIMATE REASON IN SEEKING. The Lord’s desire is that every believer be a fisher of men, but why the urgency in seeking the lost? There are two reasons we must fervently and faithful seek the salvation of lost souls: 1. The Lost Are Bound (Ephesians 2:1-3). Oliver B. Greene in his commentary on Ephesians writes: “What a picture! What a sordid, despicable, ugly picture. Yes, WHAT A PICTURE! Dead, walking according to the course of a word steeped in sin, walking according to the dictates of the devil, following the spirit of disobedience, refusing to obey, always disobeying, having conversation in lust, filth, the gutter of the flesh; practicing what the mind suggests, following the desires of the lust and of a mind totally depraved, by nature the children of the devil…” (3). The lost are bound in sin. They are its servants. And they have not the power to break its bonds. ILLUS: Charles Spurgeon said, “Sin! This casts darkness on the sun, eclipsing its meridian light. Sin is the blast which withers all the flowers of life. Sin is the gall of bitterness. A drop of it would turn an ocean of pleasure into wormwood. Sin would again blight paradise, could it be restored. It would turn heaven into hell, could it enter there. Sin is a burden which an awakened conscience cannot bear; it crushes the spirit into the dust and threatens to bear it down, even to the lowest hell” (4). We have an urgency to seek the lost because THE LOST ARE BOUND by sin, but also because… 2. The Lost Are Blinded. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4—“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Those who are perishing are not just veiled, but blinded. When you are blinded you cannot see. Billy Graham said, “The most devastating effect of sin is that by it we are blinded to it” (5). ILLUS: A woman named Rose Crawford had been blind for 50 years. "I just can't believe it!" she gasped as the doctor lifted the bandages from her eyes after her recovery from delicate surgery in an Ontario hospital. She wept for joy when for the first time in her life a dazzling and beautiful world of form and color greeted eyes that now were able to see. The amazing thing about the story, however, is that 20 years of her blindness had been unnecessary. She didn't know that surgical techniques had been developed, and that an operation could have restored her vision at the age of 30. The doctor said, "She just figured there was nothing that could be done about her condition. Much of her life could have been different."

As I read the news account of her case, some questions came to mind. Why did she continue to assume that her situation was hopeless? Had no one told her about the wonderful advances in eye surgery? Then I thought of the plight of those unreached by the Gospel. How many will go on living in moral blindness unless we bring them to the Savior? Millions will never know anything but spiritual darkness because no one has shared with them the Light that has come into the world. (Romans 10:14) BECOMING A FISHER OF MEN involves having SEEKING by seeing the URGENCY REQUIRED IN SEEKING and the ULTIMATE REASON IN SEEKING, but also BECOMING A FISHER OF MEN involves… (2) SPEAKING JOHN 1:41b—“…And saith unto him, we have found the Messias, which is, bring interpreted, the Christ.” *Andrew’s approach was two-fold, it involved: A. SHARING CHRIST. Psalms 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so; whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” Someone has said, “to keep this good news to ourselves would be in effect to repudiate its validity”—Robert E. Coleman (6). Andrew’s sharing of Christ was:

1. Personal. Andrew said, “We have found the Messiah”. This was not speculation nor was it second hand information. Andrew was telling Peter what he knew for sure. Andrew and John had personally seen and talked with the Messiah. They had learned from the testimony of John, and now had been more fully convinced from conversation with Jesus, that he was the Messiah. (Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible). John MacArthur said, “One thing I have observed in all my years of ministry is that the most effective and important aspects of evangelism usually take place on an individual, personal level…There’s no question that the most effective means for bringing people to Christ is one at a time on an individual basis…All the fruit of Peter’s ministry is ultimately also the fruit of Andrew’s faithful, Individual witness” (Twelve Ordinary Men. pp. 68, 69). 2. Powerful. When Andrew shared what he knew to Peter it was powerful. “We have found the Messias..” The One foretold by the Prophets, the One long expected by our Fathers, and the One of whom John The Baptist we preaching unto us! What a powerful message! The Gospel is powerful! It is according to Romans 1:16—“..the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” ILLUS: In his 1942 devotional Abundant Living, E. Stanley Jones, Methodist doctor and missionary to India, writes: The early Christians did not say in dismay: "Look what the world has come to," but in delight, "Look what has come to the world." They saw not merely the ruin, but the Resource for the reconstruction of that ruin. They saw not merely that sin did abound, but that grace did much more abound. On that assurance the pivot of history swung from blank despair, loss of moral nerve, and fatalism, to faith and confidence that at last sin had met its match. B. SHOWING CHRIST. When Andrew came to Peter after this encounter with Christ I believe he was literally beaming. He couldn’t hide his enthusiasm nor he could he conceal the evidence. When a person truly meets Christ it should be a life changing experience. What a grave injustice it does to the cause of Christ when we fail to live up to our profession. What a tragedy to fail to share and show to others the Christ who has changed our lives! ILLUS: Lorne Sanny recalls: “Years ago when I was with the Billy Graham team in a crusade, a businessman came forward one night and received Christ as his Savior. The next Sunday he went to a church he sometimes attended. After the service, he walked up to one of the leading elders in this church and said, ‘I was at the Billy Graham last week at the ball park. I went forward and received Christ.’ ‘I heard about it,’ the elder replied, ‘and I am delighted.’ Then the businessman said, ‘How long have you and I been associated in business?’ ‘About 23 years, I think,’ the elder answered. ‘Have you known Christ as your Savior all that time?’ the businessman asked, ‘Yes, I have,’ He answered. ‘Well, I don’t remember you ever speaking to me about Christ during those years.’ The businessman said. ‘I have thought highly of you. In fact, I thought so highly of you that I felt if anyone could be as fine a man as you and not be a Christian, then I didn’t have to be a Christian either.’” (Lorne Sanny, “The Key To Evangelism,” Discipleship Journal. Jan/Feb 1982). We BECOME FISHERS OF MEN by SPEAKING. We SHARE CHRIST with our words but we SHOW CHRIST by our lives! Many times our lives speak much louder than our words! As we show Christ to others, we must do it in two ways: 1. With Humility. Andrew did not say “I” but “We have found the Messiah.” He didn’t make it appear as if he was the only one who knew the Truth. The world turns a deaf ear to arrogance and pride. ILLUS: Seeking diversion by fishing in the streams of Scotland, a literary man went from the city with patent pole and a complete outfit of the most expensive kind. After hours of effort without even a bite, he came across a country boy with only a switch for a pole and a bent pin for a hook, but he had a long string of fish. "Why is it, I can't catch any?" the man inquired. "Because you don't keep yourself out of sight," the boy quietly replied. This is the secret of fishing for men as well as trout. Hold up the cross of Christ. Send the people away talking about Him instead of praising you. --The Volunteer 2. With Confidence. Being humble does not rule not being confident. Andrew was saying, “There may be things about Him I don’t know but I do know what He has done for me and that He is the hope of Israel.” Andrew had boldness to ask Peter if He was interested in knowing the Messiah. He simply asked Peter to come see for himself. There are many today who could be reached if only we cared enough to ask, “What think ye of Christ?” ILLUS: In 1962 a 14-year-old boy by the name of Robert White wrote to President John F. Kennedy’s personal secretary requesting the President’s autograph. Within a few weeks Evelyn Lincoln honored the boy’s request by sending him a facsimile signature in the mail. That began a relationship of correspondence that lasted 33 years. Impressed with White’s passion for presidential history, Mrs. Lincoln gave his thousands of documents and mementos. She saved whatever could be saved including even doodles JFK drew during meetings. Today, Robert White, now 53, boasts the largest private collection of Kennedy memorabilia, over 50,000 items. Sometimes simply asking is all it takes. (Southwest Airlines Flight Magazine, November 1999). BECOMING A FISHER OF MEN requires SEEKING, SPEAKING, and finally… (3) SHEPHERDING JOHN 1:42a—“And he brought him to Jesus..” *The word shepherding means “leading and guiding.” The word brought in this verse means “to lead or to bring.” It does not tell us that Andrew converted or saved Peter. It tells us, “…he brought him to Jesus..” He persuasively brought Peter to understand that he needed to investigate this opportunity for himself. *Andrew realized that the work of salvation belongs to Jesus. Andrew knew Peter better than anyone and if he was ever to become a “rock” Jesus would have to do it. But for Jesus to do what he could do Andrew had to first do what he could do. Peter was:

 Sought by his brother.  Brought to the Savior.  Caught by what he heard and felt. *Shepherding the lost involves two things: A. LOVING LOST SOULS. We must “sow in tears” if we expect to “reap with joy.” ILLUS: When my wife and I went to Dallas Seminary, we decided we wouldn't live in the "cemetery" housing. Instead, we lived in the high-class, red-light district. If you want to get an introduction to life itself, that's the place to be. We made a commitment to take one non-Christian person, couple or individual, out to dinner once a week. Did we ever get a liberal education. But what fun; we had people coming to know the Lord right and left in that place, because we simply loved them. We opened our home to them. -- Joseph Aldrich, "How to Be a Redemptive Person," Preaching Today, Tape No. 113. We just need to love the souls of men. As Jude 22-23 tells us, “And of some having compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” We should never take witnessing for Christ lightly—it is a matter of life and death. B. LEADING LOST SOULS. What wonderful words we read in v42— “And he brought him to Jesus..”! ILLUS: A strong horseshoe magnet may be held over an old rust- eaten, shapeless nail without meeting any response. A bright, ringing nail will leap to the magnet, attract another, and through it draw yet another, until several are attracted. That is how Christians are. A really genuine, active, shining Christian has a tremendous attraction to Christ, is magnetized by His love and purity, attracted by His power. And through that Christian, Christ can draw others to Him to share the same power and attraction. But a rusty, unpolished, corroded Christian, cranky, defiled and selfish, has very little attraction, and through him the power of Christ to win the world cannot flow. God has enough power to wipe out every vice and every evil doctrine in this world, but first of all, there must be conductors. And rusty, untaught, unprepared, and unpracticed church members neither draw others near to God nor are drawn near themselves. Our religion must be intensive before it can be extensive. CLOSING: “Christianity can be condensed into four words: admit, submit, commit, and transmit” (Samuel Wilberforce, Men of Integrity. January/February 2001). Jesus told those He called, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). We in the life of Andrew see how the Master molded him into a fisher of men. Each time we see Andrew in the Gospels he is bringing someone to Jesus (John 6:8; 12:22). God requires three things of us in order to use us as soul winners: 1.) We need to have a love for God. 2.) We need to have a love for the lost. 3.) We need to be available. - Zig Ziglar Murray McCheyne, that great preacher, said, "The Christian is just a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God." Is it easy for others to believe in God because of your presence among them? And that great scientist Pascal said. "I saw that everything that came to pass in the life of Christ must be repeated in the lives of His followers." And another author said, "Say not that you have royal blood in your veins, say not that you are born of God, if you cannot prove your pedigree by daring to be holy." BECOMING A FISHER OF MEN requires SEEKING, SPEAKING, and SHEPHERDING. Will you allow the Master to mold you so that you will be an effective witness for Him? Joseph Aldrich gives us God’s evangelistic strategy in a nutshell: He desires to build into you and me the beauty of His own character, and then put us on display (7). CLOSING: 1. John MacArthur. Twelve Ordinary Men. p. 66. 2. Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 36. 3. Oliver B. Greene. The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Ephesians. p. 68. 4. Charles H. Spurgeon. 2200 Quotations From The Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon. p. 193. 5. Wells. p. 181. 6. Wells. p. 35. 7. Robert J. Morgan. Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes. p. 777.