INTRODUCTION

This church is named St. Andrew’s (named after the disciple Andrew), Scots (as it is a church built by the Scottish people during British rule in Sri Lanka) Kirk (which is the Scottish word for Kirk). Now this Thursday, the people of Scotland will celebrate St. Andrew’s Day (30^th of November), with parties, games, dancing, and tasty food, as Andrew, is the patron saint of Scotland. 

Now while at least tradition states that Thomas, the Apostle of Jesus, visited Sri Lanka, and preached to Brahmins on a hill at Ginthupitiya, strangely, St Andrew, never stepped foot in Scotland, his whole life!

Now according to the Bible, Andrew became the first of the 12 followers of Jesus. In addition, Andrew’s brother Simon Peter, also became one of Jesus’ disciples and they both resided in Galilee, where they were fishermen.

Now the story of Andrew’s martyrdom states that Andrew was first stoned, and then crucified, on an X-shaped cross, commonly known as a “St. Andrew’s cross.” Now if you look at a Scottish flag, you will see the symbol of an ‘X-shaped cross’, or, “Andrew’s cross”.

BACKGROUND

• John chapter 1 records for us about the 
  • Word (Jesus) and the 
  • Witness (John the Baptist)

• In verses 1 – 18 we read how God the Son was revealed to human beings; 

• While in verses 19 – 51, we read how God the Son was revealed to John the Baptist.

• Now John the Baptist had made clear his identity to the religious leaders from Jerusalem, as well as testified that Jesus is 
  • The Lamb of God as well as 
  • The Son of God.

• Thereafter, two of John’s disciples begin to follow Jesus,
  • One of which was Andrew, and the other, 
  • Could be John, the writer of this Gospel, as in his Gospel, he never mentions his name! 

HYMNS 

• Jesus calls us o’er the tumult
• Turn your eyes upon Jesus
• Go tell it on the Mountain.

ANDREW MADE A GREAT DISCOVERY

⁴⁰ One of the two having heard what John spoke, and having followed Him, was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 

John the disciple, who wrote this Gospel, tells us that when one of the two disciples of John the Baptist, Andrew, heard John’s testimony about Jesus, he was attracted, to followed Jesus. So, when Andrew heard the voice of John, he understood the meaning and the message that Jesus was the Lamb of God, and the long-awaited Messiah, who can wipe away his sins.

Now preaching, is God’s way of bringing people to faith in Jesus. It was John the Baptist preaching that brought Andrew to faith in Jesus. Now, if all the preaching you hear from this church on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, does not lead you to discover that Jesus is the Lamb of God who can wipe away your sins; and, to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then, you have missed out on knowing Jesus personally, as Andrew did! And if we fail to see Jesus as the Messiah, as the Saviour, and as the Son of God, we become like the Jews, who saw Jesus, only as a teacher.

Now the word ‘follower’ is used in the Gospels in the context of discipleship. Now another word for a ‘follower of Christ’, is to be a ‘companion’ of Christ. Now, just as a close relationship with another person requires conversation, so a relationship with God also requires conversing with God, by reading the Bible and praying. Now how many of us have this two-way conversation with God daily?

A follower is also one who is in union with Christ.  Andrew believed in Jesus as his Saviour and Lord, and become united with Jesus and a child of God. Now, as a child of God spends time in conversation with God, they begin to resemble their Father in heaven, as a follower, also reflects the likeness of Christ. Andrew and the other disciples spent three years with Jesus, and similarly, the more we converse with God, the more we will reflect Jesus. 

A follower, is also ‘one who goes the same way’, and to follow Jesus, is ‘the way of the cross’. Andrew abandoned his career, and like Jesus died on a cross. Now are we willing to sacrificially follow Jesus, such as with our time, our talents and our take home pay?

ANDREW HAD A GREAT DESIRE

⁴¹ He first finds (his) own brother Simon, and he says to him, “We have found the Messiah” which is interpreted (or, translated) as, Christ (or the Anointed One, or, the Messiah). 

John endorses that Andrew’s conversion was real, as the first thing he wanted to do was to share Jesus with his loved ones, as the news was too good, not to be shared. So, Andrew immediately, went looking for his brother, found him, and told him, “We have found the Messiah”. Now this is a simple, but yet a great testimony. As a Jew, Andrew knew that the Prophets foretold about the coming of the Messiah and so, the moment Andrew discovered and was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, he hurried to tell his brother about his discovery. 

Our families are a ready-made mission station. Now I find, sharing the love of Jesus with my parents a difficult challenge as living out my faith consistently at home where they know me best, is tough. And yet, God placed us in the families we are in, as home-missionaries, that we have a responsibility to tell those nearest and dearest what we have found, as Andrew did. 

ANDREW DISPLAYS A GREAT DEVOTION

⁴² He brought him (or, he led him) to Jesus. 

All Andrew did, was to say that ‘He had found the Messiah’. Now in the first part of this verse John tells us that Andrew brought Peter to Jesus, to meet Him, and thereafter learn from Him. Now, it is interesting to note that each time Andrew is mentioned in John’s Gospel, he is eager to always introduce others to Jesus. In John 6:8 it was Andrew who brought the little boy with five small barley loaves and two fish to Jesus. 

Now through the centuries, this is how most people have come to faith in Jesus Christ. A Peter or a little boy, has had an Andrew who introduced him to Jesus. Now, we cannot all be a Simon Peter who preaches to 3000, or a Roshan Mendis who preaches to 80, but we can all do what Andrew did, to influence and invite one person, who is outside the faith, or has little, or no connection with the church, by saying, ‘come and see for yourself; and bringing them to a family service, a Sunday Service, a Lunch time service or to the next Alpha course. “This is the greatest service that one man can give another” (Archbishop William Temple).

CONCLUSION

• A 17-year-old boy was working in a shoe shop in Detroit. As he had no interest in spiritual matters, his Sunday school teacher went to the shoe shop and said, “Hey, I’m worried about you, and led the young man to faith in Christ. The Sunday school teacher’s name was Edward Kimball, and the young man was D. L. Moody, who went on to become a great evangelist, sharing the gospel with 100 million people. 

• Moody went on to influence a man named F.B. Meyer, a pastor in London who had not focused on Jesus until Moody preached in his church and hundreds upon hundreds of people came to faith in Jesus Christ.

• As the years went by, Meyer influenced Wilbur Chapman; Chapman influenced Billy Sunday; then Billy influenced Mordecai Ham. And, it was Mordecai Ham who led Billy Graham to Christ. 

Now not all of us can preach like Billy Graham to 215 million people. But we can be like Edward Kimball the Sunday school teacher who led a 17-year-old boy to Christ. If so, will all of us who worship God at St Andrew’s, as well as those who followed Alpha at St. Andrew’s, be an Andrew?